working draft manual

This working draft manual, published by the Institute for Security Studies in February 2000, provides a doctrinal framework for 'peace support operations' (PSOs). It distinguishes between peacekeeping and peace enforcement, emphasizing the roles of consent, impartiality, and the use of force. The guide details the strategic environment, the roles of international bodies like the UN and OAU, and the specific military tasks and techniques required to create a secure environment for civilian peacebuilding efforts.

• The manual defines Peace Support Operations (PSOs) as multifunctional military activities intended to create a secure environment that facilitates civilian efforts to establish a self-sustaining peace. These operations encompass peacekeeping, peace enforcement, conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacebuilding, and humanitarian operations.
• A fundamental distinction is made between peacekeeping and peace enforcement based on consent and capability. Peacekeeping relies on the consent of all parties and limits force to self-defence, whereas peace enforcement is coercive, used when consent is uncertain or absent, and requires a force prepared for combat to compel compliance with a mandate.
• The manual advocates for a 'manoeuvrist approach' to PSOs, which prioritizes gaining a position of advantage—whether legal, moral, or physical—and focuses on perceptions and attitudes rather than solely on material force to achieve reconciliation.
• Success in a PSO is measured by the achievement of a political endstate—specifically a secure, stable, and self-sustaining environment—rather than solely by the completion of military objectives. Military success is viewed as a precursor to the political goal.
• The document emphasizes 'principled impartiality,' stating that while a force must be even-handed and not favor any party, it is not neutral. Force may be used against a party based on their actions relative to the mandate, regardless of who they are.
• The manual outlines a 'minimum necessary force' principle, where violence is applied proportionately and only to achieve specific objectives, with a strict focus on minimizing collateral damage to avoid undermining long-term peacebuilding.
• The document identifies several core military tasks for conflict prevention, including early warning, surveillance, training and security sector reform, and preventive deployment to deter escalation.
• The manual describes the role of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and its Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, established in 1993, as a means to enhance conflict management in Africa through a Central Organ of member states.
• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is highlighted for its peacekeeping efforts in Liberia and Sierra Leone, operating under protocols that allow for collective intervention in cases of internal armed conflict engineered from outside.
• The Southern African Development Community (SADC) utilizes an Organ on Politics, Defence and Security to protect the region from instability and coordinate participation in peacekeeping operations.
• The manual stresses the importance of Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) and the use of CIMIC centres to coordinate with NGOs and local authorities, ensuring that military projects do not create a 'dependency culture'.
• The document details the specific utility of various military assets in PSOs: Special Forces for discreet liaison and reconnaissance; Engineers for infrastructure and mine clearance; and Aviation for rapid transport and deterrent presence.
• The manual describes the process of disarmament, demobilisation, and integration (DDI) as a phased approach involving securing agreements, managing cease-fires, assembling factions, and rehabilitating former combatants into civilian life.
• The guide emphasizes that the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) is the operational arm responsible for the planning and direction of UN PSOs, while the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) provides political advice.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2000). working draft manual. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Handbooks-1999-PeaceSupportOperations.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. working draft manual. 2000. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Handbooks-1999-PeaceSupportOperations.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=working draft manual |date=February 2000 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Handbooks-1999-PeaceSupportOperations.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2000working, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{working draft manual}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2000}, month = feb, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Handbooks-1999-PeaceSupportOperations.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }