Obstruction in Peacekeeping: Unpacking Disruption Strategies and Practices within the UN and in the Field

United Nations peacekeeping has become emblematic of the tensions facing global governance institutions operating under conditions of accelerating disruption. Transnational crises, from escalating armed conflict to widespread disinformation, and shifting domestic political landscapes challenge the authority, legitimacy, and adaptability of the UN. This paper argues that obstruction in peacekeeping should be understood as a form of disruption within global governance: a set of intentional strategies and practices employed by states and non-state actors that constrain the UN’s ability to carry out its mandates while reshaping the institutional environment in which it operates. The paper develops an analytical framework that conceptualizes obstruction in peacekeeping as a multidimensional type of disruption across two arenas. First, institutional obstruction occurs within the Security Council and the General Assembly, where member states dilute mandates, delay or veto mandate renewals, or leverage budgetary politics to limit the scope of peacekeeping. Second, operational obstruction unfolds in mission settings, as host governments, armed groups, and other local actors restrict movement, manipulate information, or challenge peacekeepers’ access to communities, often exploiting the complex and fragmented institutional landscape that characterizes contemporary global governance. Empirically, the paper draws on Security Council debates over the last five years (2020-2025), policy documents, and cases such as MONUSCO, MINUSMA, and UNMISS to illustrate how obstruction in peacekeeping mirrors the broader dynamics the Workshop seeks to understand: disruptions that are systemic rather than episodic, arising simultaneously from global crises and domestic political shifts. The analysis shows that obstruction is not merely a constraint on mission effectiveness but a practice that reflects and reinforces wider struggles over IO authority and legitimacy. The paper further examines the adaptive strategies that UN peacekeeping employs in response to disruption. These include mandate implementation benchmarks, innovations in information-gathering and reporting, strengthened local mediation efforts, and enhanced cooperation with regional organizations. While these mechanisms bolster resilience, they also reveal the limits of institutional flexibility when member states themselves act as disruptors. By conceptualizing peacekeeping obstruction as a lens onto disruption in global governance, the paper bridges debates on IO authority, crisis adaptation, and domestic political change. Moreover, the paper highlights the diffusion of obstruction strategies across missions, particularly the growing use of bureaucratic and political tools by member states to reshape peacekeeping without resorting to overt exits or withdrawals. It contributes to an integrated understanding of how global and local disruptors reshape multilateral institutions, both constraining their effectiveness and, at times, provoking new forms of institutional creativity.