11. Conclusions at the End of the Cold War

This chapter outlines the foundation of Ireland’s UN peacekeeping policy during the Cold War and then provides a summary of its evolutionary development from the text of this study. At the conclusion of the Cold War, Ireland’s UN Peacekeeping Policy during the Cold War can be described as the following process.  First, Ireland must receive an official UN request for Irish personnel.  Second, the Irish Government must approve the request.  Third, the Irish legislature must approve the request if the peacekeepers are armed and/or exceed specific minimum numbers of personnel. The chapter then follows how Ireland modified the initial policy to meet changes in the domestic or international political system including those related to UN needs.