Ingrid Lehmann demonstrates, through case studies of five peacekeeping operations - Namibia, Cambodia, Rwanda, Haiti and Eastern Slavonia - that public information functions, structures and processes are normally ignored in the peacekeeping mandate. They may or may not be succesfully added on later, and are too often relegated to specialist staff. The resultant ad-hoc conduct of the public affairs of the mission leaves too much to chance, and may lead to a fragmented and often contradictory execution at too low a level. This portends ominously for the manner in which the operation will be percived, and eventually, too, for the manner in which the peacekeeping operations in general may be judged. Ingride Lehmann makes prposals for how communications maybe improved, and considers the consequences of failing to do so.

Ingrid Lehmann demonstrates, through case studies of five peacekeeping operations - Namibia, Cambodia, Rwanda, Haiti and Eastern Slavonia - that public information functions, structures and processes are normally ignored in the peacekeeping mandate. They may or may not be succesfully added on later, and are too often relegated to specialist staff. The resultant ad-hoc conduct of the public affairs of the mission leaves too much to chance, and may lead to a fragmented and often contradictory execution at too low a level. This portends ominously for the manner in which the operation will be percived, and eventually, too, for the manner in which the peacekeeping operations in general may be judged. Ingrid Lehmann makes prposals for how communications maybe improved, and considers the consequences of failing to do so.