UN Peacekeeping
Expected Council Action
In September, the Security Council will hold an open debate on peacekeeping reform pursuant to resolution 2378 of 20 September 2017. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix; Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo; the chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Ambassador Ricklef Johannes Beutin (Germany); and Jenna Russo, the Director of Research and Head of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations at the International Peace Institute (IPI) are the anticipated briefers.
Key Recent Developments
At the Summit of the Future in September 2024, member states adopted the Pact for the Future, which, among other things, requested the Secretary-General to “undertake a review of the future of all forms of UN peace operations, taking into account lessons learned from previous and ongoing reform processes, and provide strategic and action-oriented recommendations for the consideration of member states on how the United Nations toolbox can be adapted to meet evolving needs, allowing for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging, and future challenges”.
In a 24 March open debate convened by the Danish Security Council presidency on “Advancing Adaptability in UN Peace Operations — Responding to New Realities”, Secretary-General António Guterres briefed Council members on plans to conduct extensive consultations as part of the comprehensive review of UN peace operations. According to the Secretary-General, these consultations will involve member states, host countries, troop- and police-contributing countries, financial contributors, regional organisations, civil society, and academia. The Secretary-General has indicated that the review will contribute to the broader UN80 initiative, which he announced on 12 March in response to persistent funding challenges facing the UN and the need to assess the organisation’s fitness for carrying out its goals efficiently. The initiative is aimed at implementing “deeper, more structural changes and program alignment within the UN system”, including UN peacekeeping, to find efficiencies and improvements in its work.
The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) are jointly conducting the peace operations review which is expected to build on A New Agenda for Peace—the Secretary-Genera’s July 2023 report providing his vision for the future of multilateral engagement on peace and security issues—and the comprehensive studies that the two departments have carried out on the future of peacekeeping operations and Special Political Missions, respectively. Last year, DPO commissioned an independent study on: Future of Peacekeeping, New Models, and Related Capabilities, which was published in November 2024 and was intended to inform the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial held in Berlin in May. DPPA has also been working on a comprehensive compendium of the history and evolution of Special Political Missions (SPMs) that is expected to be released soon.
The two departments have already conducted internal consultations across the UN system, gathering input from all Special Representatives and Envoys leading UN peace operations for the ongoing review. Lacroix and Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo also briefed member states on the review during an informal meeting of the General Assembly held on 27 May.
The two departments intend to convene a series of discussions with the other intergovernmental bodies, including the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C34), the Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee), the Security Council, and the Peacebuilding Commission. They also plan to hold consultations with regional groups and formally requested member states to provide written inputs. So far, it seems that more than 30 countries have sent their written submissions to the Secretariat, with more anticipated to do so in the coming weeks.
This series of consultations is expected to inform the two departments in developing a coherent analysis and set of recommendations for the review, while ensuring sufficient space for dedicated discussions on issues specific to both peacekeeping operations and SPMs. The two departments plan to conduct another round of consultations on the draft recommendations before finalising the review in early 2026. The outcome will be presented in the form of a report by the Secretary-General, to be submitted to both the Security Council and the General Assembly.
On 29 July, the Security Council held a briefing under the agenda item “Maintenance of international peace and security” on the theme “Adapting Peace Operations for the Pursuit of Political Solutions – Priorities and Challenges.” The meeting, convened by Pakistan, aimed to contribute to the ongoing review of UN peace operations. Lacroix, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, and Ze’id Raad Al Hussein, President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Peace Institute (IPI), briefed the Council.
Key Issues and Options
A key issue for Council members in September will be the ongoing review of UN peace operations. The open debate will offer another opportunity for Council members and the wider UN membership to share their views and perspectives on how to strengthen UN peace operations and make them fit for purpose to meet present and future peace and security challenges. A possible option is the adoption of a resolution later in the year based on the series of discussions on UN peace operations that took place over the course of 2025. The last thematic resolution on UN peacekeeping—resolution 2668 of 21 December 2022 on mental health and psychosocial support for personnel of UN peace operations—was adopted three years ago.
Another major issue is the UN80 Initiative and how it relates to the ongoing review of peace operations. Security Council members appear eager to see how the two processes can mutually reinforce each other. In his 24 March briefing to the Security Council, the Secretary-General expressed hope that this review will help inform efforts under the UN80 Initiative by finding efficiencies and improvements.
A related concern is the UN’s liquidity crisis and the continued efforts to ensure cost-efficiency and effectiveness across the organisation, including within peace operations. The US contributes 25% of the peacekeeping budget, and the prospect of the US not paying their assessed contributions to peacekeeping this year would require deep budget cuts in many missions. Council members could consider holding a discussion with DPO in a closed Arria formula meeting, or other informal format, that focuses on key mandated tasks that should be preserved in specific peace operations, in light of envisioned budget cuts.
Council Dynamics
Three elected members ─ Denmark, Pakistan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK)─are working together this year as part of a “Peacekeeping Trio Initiative”. ROK seems to have coordinated with Denmark and Pakistan in planning to convene the open debate in September. In addition to formal meetings, the Trio has been convening a series of informal discussions outside the Council, including most recently a policy forum held on 8 July at IPI, focused on the “Ten-Year Review of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO) Report”. The Trio appears eager to closely follow developments around peacekeeping in the coming months, with the aim of proposing a Council product before the end of the year.
At the 29 July meeting, Council members highlighted a range of issues and priorities related to the ongoing review of peace operations. Several members reaffirmed that the primacy of politics must remain central to peace operations, with a greater emphasis on addressing the root causes of conflict. They also underscored the importance of setting realistic political objectives, establishing clear benchmarks, and ensuring sustained support and partnership with local and regional actors. Some members emphasised the responsibility of host states to fully respect Status of Forces Agreements and to provide a conducive operating environment for peace operations.
However, some members, such as Russia, expressed concern about the growing tendency to broaden mandates to include what they described as “secondary issues,” such as human rights, gender, and climate, arguing that this represents a departure from more traditional approaches. Others, meanwhile, stressed the need to ensure the inclusion of women and youth in peace processes to promote sustainable peace. A number of members noted that while peacekeepers can help create space for dialogue, they cannot substitute for genuine political solutions. These members further emphasised that peacekeeping is not a silver bullet but remains relevant despite the significant challenges it faces.
Some members called for reforms to enhance the accountability and adaptability of peace operations, stressing that mandates should not be renewed merely for continuity’s sake. At the same time, others cautioned that cost-effectiveness should not be equated with doing less, underscoring that budgetary constraints must not diminish the international community’s commitment or resolve. Several members, such as Greece and the Republic of Korea, also highlighted the importance of leveraging technology—particularly artificial intelligence—to strengthen UN peace operations in areas such as training, logistics, landmine detection, surveillance, and monitoring.
| Security Council Meeting Records | |
| 29 July 2025S/PV.9969 | This was a Security Council briefing on UN peace operations. |
| 7 April 2025S/PV.9892 | This was a Security Council briefing on UN peacekeeping operations. |
| 24 March 2025S/PV.9884 | This was the Security Council’s open debate on UN peace operations. |
