The United Nations was established in 1945 „to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war“ and one of its main purposes is to maintain international peace and security.

UN peacekeeping operations used to be deployed to support the implementation of inter-state ceasefires or peace agreements, such as the first peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), set up in 1945 to monitor an Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours, or the UN mission on the Golan Heights UNDOF).