Intrusive Impartiality

Impartiality is a central norm in United Nations peace operations that has long been associated with passive monitoring of cease-fires and peace agreements. In the twenty-first century, however, its meaning has been stretched to allow for a range of forceful, intrusive, and ideologically prescriptive practices. In Intrusive Impartiality, Marion Laurence explains how these new ways of being "impartial" emerge, how they spread within and across missions, and how they become institutionalized across UN peace operations. In doing so, Laurence sheds light on controversial changes in peacekeeping practice and provides an innovative framework for studying authority and change in global governance.