New York: Revitalizing UN peace operations requires bold diplomacy, sustained political support, and renewed trust in the organization's ability to foster peace in an increasingly fragmented world, several high-level UN officials told the Security Council today. Member States echoed calls for adaptable, inclusive, and politically grounded missions.
According to EMM, speakers drew attention to the Pact for the Future, the outcome document of the 2024 Summit of the Future, which underscores the urgent need for peace operations to adapt to an increasingly complex security environment. The Pact asked the Secretary-General to carry out a review on the future of all forms of UN peace operations and encouraged him to convene regular high-level meetings with relevant regional organizations to discuss matters pertaining to peace operations, peacebuilding, and conflicts.
This review, as requested by the Pact for the Future, is a timely opportunity to modernize the UN's peace toolbox, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, told the 15-member Council. Mr. Lacroix highlighted four key areas to strengthen peace operations, emphasizing the need for strong political backing, adaptable leadership, close coordination with regional actors, and better integration of troop- and police-contributing countries.
Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, stressed the need for peacekeeping and special political missions to evolve to meet new challenges. She highlighted the fragmented geopolitical landscape and the emergence of non-State actors, new technologies, and transnational threats like climate change that complicate peacekeeping tasks.
Zeid Raad al Hussein, President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Peace Institute, emphasized the importance of creative diplomacy and bold leadership in renewing trust in the United Nations. He recounted historical examples of effective UN diplomacy and called for a return to initiative, pragmatism, and political courage to make peace operations effective again.
Council members underscored the need for properly resourced, strategically designed, and technologically equipped missions to adapt to modern challenges. Ioannis-Michail Loverdos, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece, and the speaker for the Republic of Korea advocated for harnessing new technologies like AI for peacekeeping operations.
Several representatives called for realistic political objectives, clear benchmarks, and sustained support for peace operations. They emphasized the importance of inclusion, particularly of women and youth, in decision-making processes to sustain peacebuilding gains.
Algeria's delegate emphasized that cost-effectiveness should mean delivering strategic, focused, and result-driven missions. Guyana's representative highlighted the need to integrate peacekeeping missions into broader strategies addressing root causes like poverty, inequality, and governance.
Overall, peace operations are considered a success story, with UN peacekeeping constituting less than 0.3 percent of global military spending. Pakistan's representative, Council President for July, stressed that peacekeeping reduces violence, protects civilians, and helps sustain peace arrangements, urging that reform efforts preserve operational credibility, institutional memory, and readiness of peace operations.