East Timor was under Portuguese rule till 1974, at which time the Portuguese decided to set up a provisional government and a popular assembly to determine whether East Timor would be an independent country or integrated into Indonesia. As conflicting views emerged about what the status of East Timor should be, civil war erupted. Following the turmoil, the Portuguese withdrew from East Timor and Indonesia invaded and claimed the region. The U.N. did not recognize Indonesia's occupation.

From 1982 onwards, the U.N. conducted negotiations with Indonesia, Portugal, and the people of East Timor to resolve the dispute. The U.N. Mission in East Timor oversaw a transitional period and arranged a vote in East Timor to allow the people to decide their own fate. In the face of high tension, poor infrastructure and limited communication, the mission conducted a successful election with a high turn-out. Unfortunately, as the people overwhelmingly voted in favor of independence, groups in favor of integration with Indonesia began acting violently. The Indonesian authorities failed to control the brutality that left hundreds of thousands of people dead or displaced. It fell upon U.N. officials to arrange diplomatic negotiations.

The U.N. rallied international support and pressed Indonesia to end the violence in East Timor, after which a multinational force was sent in to create peace and provide humanitarian aid. Efforts to restore displaced persons also began. Indonesian authorities gradually withdrew from East Timor, as the U.N. mission worked to maintain its logistical capacity and adequate personnel. By 1999, the U.N. Transitional Administration in East Timor was established. This mission was charged with the administration of East Timor during its transition to full independence. Its activities included providing security, maintaining law and order, helping to establish civil and social services, coordinating humanitarian assistance, and supporting capacity-building for self-governance.

In 2001, an election with over 91% voter turnout selected members of a Constituent Assembly, responsible for writing and adopting a Constitution for a fully independent East Timor. On May 20, 2002, East Timor finally declared complete independence as the U.N. handed over authority to a democratically elected government. Following this, U.N. missions were set up to monitor the post-independence situation and maintain stability. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up to discover and reveal past wrongdoings by governments and non-state actors. These commissions provide a useful space to talk about and accept the truth without necessarily providing for punishment of wrongdoers. Such acknowledgement of guilt helps war-torn societies to deal with past atrocities in the hope of receiving closure and moving together to build a common, healthy future.

From 1975 to 1979, the oppressive and totalitarian Khmer Rouge regime ruled Cambodia. During this time over 1.5 million Cambodians died due to overwork, disease, malnutrition, and by execution. In 1979, Vietnam invaded Cambodia and established a socialist government backed by the Soviet Union. For twelve years civil war occurred between the new government and a coalition of the remnants of the Khmer Rouge and Cambodian royalists, which was supported by the U.S. Over 500,000 refugees fled Cambodia during this time.

In 1991, the U.N. helped arrange a peace agreement wherein all parties disarmed their forces in Cambodia and allowed the U.N. to conduct new elections. The U.N. Transnational Authority in Cambodia was established, which was then the largest U.N. peacekeeping mission in history. Its activities included clearing land mines, maintaining law and order, and resettling displaced persons.

After organizing free and fair elections, the U.N. withdrew its forces. This was no mean feat, as the Khmer Rouge boycotted the elections and threatened violence against voters. Yet, 96% of eligible voters registered, and about 90% of these voted.

In 2003, the U.N. and the Cambodian government reached a draft agreement to set up an international criminal tribunal to bring former Khmer Rouge leaders to justice for their war crimes and crimes against humanity. Such efforts help to heal a society's wounds, allowing it to leave behind atrocities of the past and work together towards progress.

Since its independence in 1956, civil war has ravaged much of Sudan. The wars between the north and the south have involved struggles over religion (the north is predominantly Muslim while the south is predominantly Christian and Animist), resources and power, leaving more than two million dead and many more displaced. A peace agreement was reached in 2005, providing for a semi-autonomous region in the south and a referendum due in 2011 for independence in the south. Sudan allowed U.N. missions in the country only after exhaustive diplomatic pressure. The U.N. Mission in Sudan was created to help with the implementation of this peace agreement. The mission was also charged with providing humanitarian assistance and promoting human rights. In 2007, the African Union- U.N. Hybrid Operation in Darfur was set up to maintain stability in Darfur while negotiations on a final settlement continued.

Though the U.N. Security Council passed resolutions to send peacekeeping forces to Sudan, in 2008, the U.S. abstained from voting, reflecting divided views over accusations of genocide that have been leveled against the Sudanese government. This occurred despite the fact that the International Criminal Court (I.C.C.) issued arrest warrants for the Sudanese President and other top-level officials responsible for the government-sponsored bloodshed in Sudan. In 2008, President Bush's administration was expressly against the I.C.C.

The peacekeeping force needs more support to cover the warn-torn territory, suffering from poor infrastructure and civil society. Moreover, Sudan covers a large area- Darfur alone is the size of France. As the society struggles against longstanding conflict and suffers from outdated traditions such as slavery, support for peacekeeping operations is more important than ever. Personnel on the ground lack much of the basic equipment. For instance, some soldiers had to buy their own paint to make their helmets blue to match the color of the U.N. A shortage of soldiers and late deployment of forces has also hampered operations. As of July 2009, three years after the establishment of the mission, two-thirds of the troops and police authorized have been deployed.

Burundi has endured ethnic conflict since its independence in 1962. Following the country's first free elections in 1993, a long and violent civil war broke out, which has led to over 300,000 deaths. Violence between Hutu and Tutsi rebels has stalled growth in the region and caused much suffering. Despite a ceasefire agreement in 2001 between the warring parties, the violence continued. The U.N. then decided to step in, and its presence in the region has averted the explosion of ethnic violence in the country.

In 2004, the U.N. sent in a peacekeeping force to oversee the 2005 presidential elections. In 2006, a new ceasefire agreement was brokered, following which a U.N. monitoring office was set up. The U.N. Peacebuilding Mission adopted Burundi as one of its first cases.

The U.N. missions helped to disarm and demobilize almost 22,000 combatants, including over 3,000 child soldiers. Other tasks included creating the security required to provide humanitarian assistance, facilitating the rehabilitation of displaced persons, and acting to stop the illegal flow of arms to rebel groups. However, the region still suffers from poverty, corruption, underdevelopment, and a slow truth and reconciliation process.

In 1991, a group called the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebelled against the Sierra Leone government. The national army at first defended the government, but later the army turned to overthrow it. The RUF, however, continued to wage war against government structures and the national army. Both sides were accused of committing gross human rights abuses, including rape and the recruitment of child soldiers.

The U.N. sent in an envoy to restore civilian rule in 1995. The following year, elections were held and the army transferred power to the victors. However, the RUF boycotted these elections. In 1997, the army and the RUF joined and ousted the government in a coup d'etat. Despite U.N. and international sanctions and negotiations, the ruling junta refused to step down. ECOMOG, the Monitoring Group of the Economic Community of West African Nations (ECOWAS), succeeded in collapsing the ruling coalition and restoring the ousted government. In 1998, the U.N. Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) was sent in to assist with the disarmament of combatants and to report human rights abuses. The rebel alliance continued their efforts to reclaim power, during which mass civilian casualties and social upheaval occurred.

In 1999, the U.N. arranged an agreement between the opposing parties in Sierra Leone to stop the fighting and establish a government of national unity. The U.N. mission in the region was expanded, under the U.N. Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), to include more military observers and other personnel. The largest U.N. Peacekeeping force to date was deployed in Sierra Leone, though many peacekeepers lacked sufficient training and equipment. Peacekeepers were attacked by rebels, who stole their resources, kidnapped and executed them. The forces contributed by different countries needed better organization coordination on the ground.

Despite this, the U.N. mission emphasized peacebuilding, disarmed tens of thousands of combatants, helped the conduct of elections, assisted the local police, contributed to rehabilitation of fighters and societies, fought corruption, expanded the availability of government services and boosted infrastructure. An illicit diamond industry, which funded rebels, was also obstructed. By early 2002, over 75,000 former fighters were disarmed, many of whom were child soldiers. The political climate grew relatively stable, and the country's first free and fair elections were organized. Local elections were also assisted. The U.N. mission oversaw the voluntary return of over half a million refugees and displaced people. It assisted the government in setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to help heal society's wounds on both sides of the conflict. Work was also done to implement job-creating and income-generating projects, reconstruct hospitals and schools, and help local agriculture.

To help consolidate peace and bolster the previous mission's goals, the U.N. Integrated Office for Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) was set up. Yet, the region's economic and political climate remains fragile.