Research on UN peacekeeping operations has established that operations' size and composition affect peacekeeping success. However, we lack systematic data for evaluating whether variation in tasks assigned to UN peacekeeping mandates matters and what explains different configurations of mandated tasks in the first place. Drawing on UN Security Council resolutions that establish, extend, or revise mandates of 27 UN peacekeeping operations in Africa in the 1991–2017 period, the Peacekeeping Mandates (PEMA) dataset fills this gap. It records 41 distinct tasks, ranging from disarmament to reconciliation and electoral support. For each task, the PEMA dataset also distinguishes between three modalities of engagement (monitoring, assisting, and securing) and whether the task is requested or merely encouraged. To illustrate the usefulness of our data, we re-examine Hultman, Kathman, and Shannon’s (2013) analysis of operations’ ability to protect civilians. Our results show that host governments and rebel groups respond differently to civilian protection mandates.

对联合国维和行动的研究表明，行动的规模和组成会影响维和行动的成功。然而，我们缺乏系统数据来评估分配给联合国维和任务的任务的变化是否重要，以及首先是什么解释了授权任务的不同配置。联合国安理会决议在 1991-2017 年期间建立、延长或修改 27 项联合国在非洲的维和行动的任务授权，维和任务 (PEMA) 数据集填补了这一空白。它记录了从解除武装到和解和选举支持等 41 项不同的任务。对于每项任务，PEMA 数据集还区分了三种参与方式（监控、协助和保护）以及任务是被请求还是仅仅被鼓励。为了说明我们数据的有用性，我们重新审视了 Hultman、Kathman 和 Shannon（2013 年）对行动保护平民能力的分析。我们的研究结果表明，东道国政府和反叛团体对平民保护任务的反应不同。