Why Contribute? Understanding Asian Motivations for Troop Contribution to Peace Operations

Abstract

This article provides an overview of South and Northeast Asian motivations for contributing troops to United Nations peace operations. It identifies five groups of countries based on their motivations and characteristics: (1) Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, (2) India and China, (3) Japan and South Korea, and two individual cases, (4) Mongolia and (5) Pakistan. It argues that the size and level of development of a troop-contributing country are important determinants for the pattern a country follows and for the size of its contribution. In addition, the article suggests that countries with both political and military motivations for contribution tend to provide the most troops, with either economic or geostrategic motivations reinforcing the commitment for contribution. In every case, normative considerations and the perception of a positive international image serve as motivations for contribution, but these do not explain the size of a country’s contributions.