Canada's role in the development of peacekeeping during the 20th century led to its reputation as a prominent world power. Canada's commitment to multilateralism has been closely related to peacekeeping efforts. Canadian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lester B. Pearson was the father of modern United Nations Peacekeeping.[1][2] Prior to Canada's role in the Suez Canal Crisis, Canada was viewed by many as insignificant in issues of the world's traditional powers. Canada's successful role in the conflict gave Canada credibility and established it as a nation fighting for the common good of all the world's nations and not just their allies.[3] Since 1995, however, Canadian direct participation in United Nations peacekeeping efforts has greatly declined.[4] That number decreased largely because Canada began to direct its participation to UN-sanctioned military operations through NATO, rather than through the UN.[5] In July 2006, for instance, Canada ranked 51st on the list of UN peacekeepers, contributing 130 peacekeepers out of a total UN deployment of over 70,000;[6] whereas in November 1990 Canada had 1,002 troops out of a total UN deployment of 10,304.[7]
| Dates of operation | Name of operation | Location | Conflict | Canadian Participation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948– | United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) | Middle East | Israeli–Palestinian conflict (initially) | Military observers, including Chief of Staff E.L.M. Burns |
| 1948–1950 | United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea (UNCOK) |  North Korea
|
Korean conflict | Several civilian and military personnel |
 South Korea
| ||||
| 1949–1979 | United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) |  India
|
Kashmir conflict | First Chief Military Observer and observers |
 Pakistan
| ||||
| 1956–1967 | United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF I) |  Egypt
|
Suez Crisis | Up to 1,007 personnel |
| 1960–1964 | United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) |  Republic of the Congo
|
Congo Crisis | Approx 300 servicemen at a time, 1,900 total. |
| 1962–1963 | United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) |  Netherlands New Guinea
|
Transfer of sovereignty over Western New Guinea following the West New Guinea dispute | Two aircraft, one observer. |
 Indonesia
| ||||
| 1964– | United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) |  Cyprus
|
Cyprus dispute | Operation SNOWGOOSE |
 Northern Cyprus
| ||||
| 1973–1979 | United Nations Emergency Force, Middle East (UNEF II) |  Egypt
|
Yom Kippur War | 1,145 personnel |
 Israel
| ||||
| 1974– | United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) | Israel
|
Maintains ceasefire following the Yom Kippur War. | Operation DANACA |
 Syria
| ||||
| 1978 | United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) |  Lebanon
|
1978 South Lebanon conflict | 110 personnel |
| 1981– | Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) | Sinai Peninsula | Enforce the Egypt–Israel peace treaty | Operation CALUMET |
| 1989–1990 | United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) |  Namibia
|
Namibian War of Independence | Operation MATADOR |
| 1991–1994 | United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) | Western Sahara | Western Sahara conflict | Operation PYTHON, a maximum of 35 CF personnel from May 1991 – June 1994. |
| 1992–1993 | United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) |  Cambodia
|
Conflict in Cambodia | Operation MARQUIS 1 and MARQUIS 2 |
| 1992–1995 | United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) |  Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
Yugoslav Wars | Operation Harmony |
 Croatia
| ||||
 Republic of Macedonia
| ||||
 FR Yugoslavia
| ||||
| April 1992 – December 1992 | United Nations Operation in Somalia I (UNOSOM I) |  Somalia
|
Somali Civil War | |
| December 1992 – May 1993 | Unified Task Force (UNITAF) | Somalia
|
Somali Civil War | |
| May 1993 – March 1995 | United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) | Somalia
|
Somali Civil War | |
| 1993–1996 | United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) |  Haiti
|
1991 Haitian coup d'état | Up to 500 Canadian Forces personnel and 100 civilian police. |
| 1993–1996 | United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) |  Rwanda
|
Rwandan Civil War | |
| 1994–1996 | United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation (UNCRO) | Croatia
|
Croatian War of Independence | |
| 1995–1999 | United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) |  Macedonia
|
Aftermath of the Yugoslav wars | 1 observer |
| 1995–2000 | United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) |  Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
Bosnian War | 20 Canadian Forces personnel and 100 RCMP and civilian police |
| 1996–1997 | United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) | Haiti
|
Stabilizing Haiti's democracy | Operation STANDARD and Operation STABLE |
| 1997–2004 | United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti (UNTMIH) | Haiti
|
Training of the Haitian National Police | Operation CONSTABLE |
| 1997–2000 | United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH) | Haiti
|
Training of the Haitian National Police | Operation COMPLIMENT |
| 1998–2000 | United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) |  Central African Republic
|
Mutinies in the Central African Republic armed forces | Over 80 CF personnel at peak. |
| 1999–2000 | The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) |  East Timor
|
1999 East Timorese crisis | Operation TOUCAN |
| Indonesia
| ||||
| 1999–2002 | United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) |  Serbia
|
Kosovo War | Operation Kinetic and Operation QUADRANT |
 Kosovo
| ||||
| 1999–2005 | United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) |  Sierra Leone
|
Sierra Leone Civil War | Operation REPTILE |
| 1999–2010 | United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) |  Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
Second Congo War | 9 military observers (Operation CROCODILE) |
| 2000–2002 | The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) | East Timor
|
1999 East Timorese crisis | 600 personnel (Operation TOUCAN) |
| Indonesia
| ||||
| 2000 | United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) |  Eritrea
|
Eritrean–Ethiopian War | Operation Addition |
 Ethiopia
| ||||
| 2004 | United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) | Haiti
|
Aftermath of the 2004 Haitian coup d'état | 500 personnel, 6 helicopters (Operation HALO) |
| 2005–2009 | United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) |  Sudan
|
Second Sudanese Civil War | 45 personnel (Operation SAFARI) |
| 2009 | United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) | Sudan
|
War in Darfur | Operation SATURN |
| 2018–2023 | Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) |  Mali
|
Mali War | 18 personnel |
