Important U.S. interests ... are served every time an area of instability and conflict is transformed into one of peace and development. This contributes to our economic interests, reduces the likelihood of costly humanitarian disasters and refugee flows, and expands the network of societies working to counter global threats such as illegal narcotics, crime, terror, and disease.

-- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright      
Before the House Appropriations Committee      
Washington, DC, February 25, 1998      

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the first UN peacekeeping operation, "U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda" takes a look at peacekeeping missions around the world and the U.S. role in those efforts. It examines the history and evolution of peacekeeping since the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) -- considered to be the first UN peacekeeping operation -- was established by UN Security Council Resolution 50 on May 29, 1948. Senior U.S. officials from the State and Defense Departments, the United Nations, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization provide an overview of U.S. peacekeeping policy and objectives. Also included are a report on recent public opinion polls conducted in the United States and a fact sheet describing UN peacekeeping operations.