Invisible peace builders: How ‘diplomacy works’ to prevent conflict

Many of the UN’s greatest successes were crises that never made the headlines.

Around the world, special political missions work quietly to ease tensions, broker agreements and support fragile political transitions. Their tools are negotiation, mediation and diplomacy.

Unlike more visible peacekeeping missions, they do not have armored vehicles or armed troops.

At its first launch a comprehensive overview of these missionsRosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding, described their record as “sometimes modest, sometimes historic,” and added that it points to “one eternal truth: diplomacy works.” That lesson, he said, is especially relevant today.

This review covers the period from 1948 to 2025 and shows how the Organization’s political role has evolved as the world changes.

From Palestine to the present

The first such mission was established in May 1948 soon after the UN was created.

Swedish diplomat Count Folke Bernadotte is appointed as UN Mediator in Palestine, the first time the UN has deployed a special envoy to help resolve an armed conflict.

Currently, special political missions perform various functions.

They are civil missions mandated to:

• Prevent conflict
• Support the peace process
• Help build sustainable peace

Some facilitate peace negotiations, others monitor ceasefire agreements, support border demarcations, investigate serious violations, or assist political reform processes.

According to Rosemary DiCarlo, the hallmark of special political missions is their diversity.

“They could be envoys of the Secretary-General, fact-finding and investigative missions, regional offices, helpful expert panels Security Council monitoring the sanctions regime, and the missions that accompany complex political transitions,” he said.

“Flexibility has always been their strength. Instruments that help broker ceasefires can also demarcate borders or support the elimination of chemical weapons programs. Few multilateral instruments can adapt,” he explained.

Helping countries become countries

One of the most remarkable early examples was the UN’s role in Libya’s quest for independence.

In the late 1940s, the country, which had been an Italian colony from 1911 to 1942 and before that part of the Ottoman Empire, was divided and operated under different administrative systems.

A UN commission helped bridge political differences, draft a constitution, form an interim government, create a unified financial system and train civil servants.

Just two years later, Libya became the first country to achieve independence through a UN-sponsored process.

Similar missions supported decolonization elsewhere.

UN representatives organized votes and referendums in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Togoland, held consultations with the people of Bahrain and helped newly independent countries build their own institutions.

Diplomacy during the Cold War

During the Cold War, the Security Council’s ability to act was often hampered by rivalries between the great powers. As a result, the UN has become increasingly dependent on special representatives of the Secretary-General.

In the 1980s, the Secretary-General’s Personal Representative led years of negotiations regarding Afghanistan culminating in the signing of the Geneva Agreements in 1988.

Around the same time, another Special Representative helped maintain negotiations between Iran and Iraq.

For Ms. DiCarlo, that history carries an important message for today. “Geopolitical divisions are no excuse for inaction,” he said, noting that special political missions operated throughout the Cold War and were still achieving breakthroughs.

New challenges after the Cold War

The end of the bipolar world order sparked long-held tensions and led to a sharp increase in the number of political missions.

From the 1990s onward, they increasingly helped countries hold elections, draft new constitutions, reform state institutions, and rebuild trust after civil wars.

Important successes were achieved in Tajikistan, where a UN political mission helped support the implementation of the 1997 peace agreement, thereby contributing to the country’s transition from civil war to peace.

UN political missions work in El Salvador, Guatemala, Burundi, Somalia, Nepal, Angola, Haiti and many other countries. At the same time, an expert panel was created to monitor compliance with Security Council sanctions.

Haiti and its current fragile transition

Haiti shows how special political missions continue to develop. In contrast to the missions established to implement peace agreements, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, known as BINUHhelping foster inclusive political dialogue, supporting election preparations after years of not holding national elections, and coordinating international efforts as the country faces insecurity and institutional fragility.

Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Haiti and head of BINUH, said the mission’s work relies on one critical element: trust.

“There is confidence in the UN,” he said, adding that there is also confidence that a special political mission “can make it happen.” That belief, he stressed, is something that must be acknowledged, respected and strengthened.

Jobs that rarely make the headlines

By the end of 2025, the UN will have 40 special political missions operating around the world. Today, they are increasingly focused on targeted political tasks: conflict prevention, mediation, regional diplomacy and support for peace processes tailored to specific contexts.

Their work is often invisible due to its design. They operate through quiet diplomacy, covert contacts and patient engagement with governments, parties to conflict, regional organizations and civil society.

Shamala Kandiah Thompson, of the independent publication Security Council Reports, said these missions “have quietly become indispensable instruments for conflict prevention and political engagement.” It may be less visible than peacekeeping operations, he said, but it is “no less important.”

Looking ahead, DiCarlo said this publication is not just a record of the past, but also a reminder of what is possible.

“Even in the most difficult situations, dialogue can open doors, patience can build trust, and diplomacy can change the course of history,” he said.