UN Peacekeeping: the Origins of the Concept of Oversight Operations

The purpose of the article is to explore the circumstances surrounding the emergence of the concept of UN oversight operations as the initial form of peacekeeping operations and to clarify their role in peacekeeping through the work of such first groups as the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) and the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan. The methodology of the research based on the principles of systemicity, authenticity, historicism, logics. General scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and special-historical (historical-typological, historical-system) methods have been used. The events are considered according to their interrelation and in the totality of the revealed historical facts. The scientific novelty is that for the first time the historical aspect of UN involvement in resolving regional conflicts of the second half of the twentieth was explored, since most of the works were written by professional lawyers, political scientists, etc., and thus, due to the specific nature of their research, historical aspects could not be covered in full.Conclusions. In the course of the settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the United Nations has developed new methods of peacekeeping. In the late 1940-s – early 1950-s, the concept of UN oversight operations as the initial form of peacekeeping operations was developed by member-states. The creation of this concept gave a significant impetus to the development of UN peacekeeping. The function of the UN observers included: surveillance, daily reports, incident investigations, military installations inspection. Thus, they were the main source of information for the Security Council on the situation in the region.On May 29, 1948, a group of military observers called the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) to monitor the truce was created, which is considered was reference to the history of this crucial and necessary UN activity. In 1949, the United Nations Group on India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) formed. The experience of these first groups became the basis for developing other forms and methods of peacekeeping: missions to find out the facts, plebiscite observations, good-service missions, reconciliation teams, mediators and special representatives, and more.The author draws attention to the fact that regional conflicts mentioned in the article, despite the efforts of the UN, remain unresolved today, so the UN should develop more effective measures for their settlement.