Since the start of the first operation in 1948, the United Nations has conducted more than 70 peacekeeping operations in 50 countries and territories. In the post-Cold War period, there were on average 15 active peacekeeping ops per year, reaching a peak of 20 peacekeeping missions in the mid-1990s.
The period of reduction began in the late 1990s, but returned to the rise in the first decade of the 21st century when many huge and ambitious operations were approved. Currently, there are 12 active peacekeeper operations, including 6 in Africa, three in the Middle East, two in Europe, and one in Asia.