We must improve UN peacekeeping to meet today’s challenges: UK statement to UN Security Council

Thank you, President. I thank our briefers, USG Lacroix, Dr. Ero, and Mr. Al Hussein, for their insight and continued support of UN peacekeeping. I also want to thank the brave peacekeepers who risk their lives every day around the world, and pay tribute to the peacekeepers who lost their lives this year in the fight for peace.

President, UN peacekeeping is an indispensable element of the UN Security Council’s toolbox for global peace and security, and an important symbol of global cooperation. As peacekeeping faces new and systemic challenges, as we have heard, we must protect and improve this tool for the future. I want to make three broad points this morning.

First, peacekeeping faces changing challenges. These include the challenges of maintaining relationships with host states and the importance of setting clear expectations about host state responsibilities.

This should reduce the risk of accelerated withdrawals of missions, as we have seen recently. Moreover, increasing misinformation and disinformation about missions endangers the safety and security of our peacekeepers.

Peacekeeping missions require stronger partnerships and cooperation, as well as political support and consent from host countries to ensure effective implementation of mandates and well-planned transitions.

Second, we must continue to adapt our approach to meet the unique needs of each context. Peacekeeping works best when there is a political process to support or a peace to maintain. New missions must be better tailored, more agile and flexible, with focused, realistic mandates.

We must continue to strengthen missions by increasing peacekeeping intelligence, situational awareness, embracing new technologies such as AI, and addressing sexual exploitation and abuse. We must all reaffirm our commitment to the Action for Peacekeeping Strategy and support its implementation.

Sustainable transitions, based on best practices and lessons learned, that ensure the protection of civilians also ensure that mission gains are preserved.

Third, we must recognize the progress made on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and commit to making all peace operations fully representative and safe for women. Women’s contributions are integral to all phases of peacekeeping, including withdrawals, transitions and disengagements.

The UK will continue to contribute to creating an enabling environment for women peacekeepers through our support for the Elsie Initiative Fund, the Senior Women Talent Pipeline and through our bilateral training provided by the British Peace Support Team.

President, the United Kingdom remains a strong supporter of UN peacekeeping, including through the deployment of peacekeepers and military advisers and through peacekeeping reform.

We look forward to further discussions, including during the Berlin Ministerial Peace Mission and the preparatory conferences, on how we can help peace missions evolve so that they can respond effectively to the challenges of the future.