Efficient Peacekeeping for a New World Order

Abstract

With the convergence of preferences for democracy and free markets in so many nations, the UN has a momentous opportunity to provide the infrastructure needed to attain international peace. Given that peace is a public good, its provision by the international community currently suffers from the problems associated with these commodities, in particular that of “collective action." Namely, peacekeeping will entail “free-riding," by member states of the international system. This leads to the underprovision of peacekeeping/peace-enforcing efforts. This article presents a market- based proposal to remedy this problem. The proposed changes to peacekeeping operations aim to discourage wealthier nations from vetoing missions of genuine humanitarian concern for fear of casualties to their troops. Second, it also more justly compensates low-income nations participating in operations. Thirdly, it corrects for the current tendency to use more weapons and less personnel, and finally and most importantly, it would reflect the preferences of the international community for different peacekeeping operations in a transparent manner.