UN Peacekeeping
Expected Council Action
In February, the Security Council will receive its annual briefing from the heads of police components of UN peace operations.
Key Recent Developments
Annual briefings by the heads of police components of UN peace operations began in 2014. The last briefing took place in November 2023, with a focus on how the UN Police (UNPOL) can contribute to the implementation of the recommendations in A New Agenda for Peace, a policy brief released in July 2023 outlining the Secretary-General’s vision for the UN’s work on peace and security in a changing world. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Police Commissioner of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) Christophe Bizimungu, Police Commissioner of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Christine Fossen, UN Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar, and then-Executive Director of Security Council Report Karin Landgren briefed the Council. (For more, see our 13 November 2023 What’s In Blue story.)
Ghana hosted the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Accra on 5-6 December 2023, during which 33 member states made pledges of over 110 new military and police units to UN peacekeeping, according to a press release issued at the conclusion of the meeting. Germany will host the 2025 peacekeeping ministerial in May, which will provide an opportunity for member states to make pledges to support UNPOL, including through the deployment of formed police units and individual police officers and by providing training and technology.
The fourth UN Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS 2024), a biennial event bringing together Ministers, Chiefs of Police, and senior representatives of regional and professional policing organisations, was held in New York from 26 to 27 June 2024, with the theme of “Advancing our Common Security: UN Policing for a New Era”. Participants discussed the role of UNPOL in supporting the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P), A New Agenda for Peace, and the digital transformation of peacekeeping, among other subjects. Speaking at the summit’s opening session, Lacroix illustrated UNPOL’s work in advancing political solutions and supporting sustainable peace as part of the Secretary-General’s A4P initiative by providing examples of its operations in the field to assist national police with training and public order management. He also described UNPOL’s challenging operating environment, including the growing threats posed by terrorists, transnational organised criminals, armed groups, and cyber criminals, as well as the rise of hate speech, misinformation and disinformation.
In an article published in the UN Chronicle to mark the International Day of Police Cooperation, Shahkar noted that UN Police is “a critical building block of the New Agenda for Peace and its new vision for the rule of law”. The Secretary-General presented his New Vision for the Rule of Law in August 2023 as part of efforts to advance Our Common Agenda, his broader vision for the future of global cooperation. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, who spoke at the introduction of an event on this new vision in Geneva on 4 August 2023, described the document as “a lodestar for rule of law in the UN system…to be better prepared to provide technical assistance, build capacity and help Member States achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”. In this regard, the document presents the UN’s objective to reinforce the centrality of the rule of law in all its activities and promote greater cohesion among its entities that provide rule of law support, including peacekeeping operations, special political missions and country teams. In 2012, the UN established a Global Focal Point for the Rule of Law—which is co-chaired by the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions of the Department of Peace Operations and the UN Development Programme—to promote coordination within the UN system in providing rule of law assistance at country and international levels.
Key Issues and Options
An overarching issue for members is the future of peace operations. The Pact of the Future calls for a review of peace operations. Members may wish to use the opportunity of this briefing by the heads of police components to explore the role of UN Police in the context of more nimble PKOs and SPMs
A continuing key issue for Council members is how to strengthen the role of UNPOL in UN peace operations. A related issue is supporting UNPOL in advancing the objectives in A New Agenda for Peace and New Vision for the Rule of Law. With a number of multidimensional peacekeeping operations undergoing transitions, the role of UNPOL in protecting civilians and building the policing capacity of host countries has become increasingly important. Members may wish to discuss the role of UNPOL in transitions of peacekeeping operations in the Working Group on Peacekeeping.
Council Dynamics
There is general agreement among Council members about the importance of UNPOL in helping to maintain public order, protect civilians, and assist host states in building their law enforcement capacities. Council members also recognise the critical role UNPOL plays in countries undergoing transition.
At the November 2023 briefing, some Council members highlighted UNPOL’s key role in peace operations in rebuilding trust and solidarity with communities, protecting civilians, strengthening the rule of law, combating arms proliferation, and promoting peacebuilding, among other things. Several members emphasised the role of women in policing and hailed the progress in implementing the Gender Parity strategy in UNPOL. This strategy was developed to create an enabling environment for the meaningful participation of uniformed women personnel in peace operations both at the headquarters and in the field.
Some members drew attention to the safety and security of police officers and the need to enhance strategic communication to combat mis- and disinformation. Other members stressed the need to improve UNPOL’s performance and build its capacity to adapt to the changing operating environment. This was the topic of discussion at a performance workshop held in early October 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with the participation of heads of police components.
While some members welcomed the closer integration of police into UN peacekeeping, others underscored the need for a clear delineation of the military and civilian components as their functions are quite different. In this context, the first joint heads of military and police components conference was held in Brussels on 8 October 2024 and focused on how to achieve greater integration and interoperability between the two components of UN peace operations.
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 20 November 2014S/RES/2185 | This was the first standalone resolution on UN policing. |
| Security Council Meeting Records | |
| 14 November 2023S/PV.9475 | This document is the Security Council’s meeting records on its annual briefing with the heads of police components of UN peace operations. |
