Exploring the compatibility of multiple missions in UN peace operations

In their 2018 article, Diehl and Druckman address several hurdles that may hinder the effectiveness of multiple mission peace operations. One of these hurdles is the extent to which two or more missions are compatible. Based on the idea that similar missions have positively reinforcing effects, we propose alternative indicators of the compatibility concept in the context of nine types of UN missions conducted within the same peace operation. We code all missions in each of 70 UN peace operations (1948–2016) on twelve characteristics, such as whether the mission could be considered impartial or biased, whether it allows for an easy or hard exit, and coordination with IOs or the host government. A multidimensional scaling analysis is performed to evaluate the proximity of these missions: missions closer in proximity are regarded as being more compatible than those farther away. The proximity scores are used to develop the three compatibility indicators based on different theoretical logics. We then apply these indicators in some preliminary statistical analyses and also compare two peace operations with different compatibility characteristics to illustrate on-the-ground relevance of the indicators. Methodological issues concerning validity, next steps in the research, and policy implications are discussed.