Experts discuss the future of UN peacekeeping in a divided world
To address changing global challenges, new models for UN peacekeeping are described in an independent research commissioned by the UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO). This study, which was commissioned at the request of Germany and other co-chairs of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial process, intends to influence the conversation during the next UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin, which will take place from May 13–14, 2025. The theme of the event will be “The Future of Peacekeeping.” According to the report, UN peacekeeping is still a useful multilateral instrument for maintaining peace, preventing and restricting armed conflict, and addressing a wider variety of risks to global peace and security. It also examines the security risks and difficulties that upcoming peacekeeping operations will face. Armed conflict, the weaponization of new and developing technology, transnational organized crime, climate catastrophe, and public health problems are some of the most significant, and they are all interacting in intricate ways that transcend state boundaries.
The future of UN peacekeeping amid global tensions
It is necessary to rethink the roles that peacekeeping can and should play in the future. According to the report, UN peacekeeping should be a modular, politically oriented, people-centered instrument that can bring the Security Council together around successful multilateral responses to a wide range of threats and difficulties. The report provides 30 credible models to help guide future UN missions to fulfill this aim. In addition to suggesting new activities for future UN peacekeeping, the models depict a variety of classic peacekeeping tasks and how they might be carried out differently in diverse circumstances and with new technologies. This report also emphasizes that, regardless of the exact mix of models and mandates, investments in critical capabilities are necessary to support present and future peacekeeping operations. Additionally, there are strong connections between peacekeeping and the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the UN’s larger prevention and peacebuilding goals, which can be further strengthened.
Challenges ahead for UN peacekeeping forces
The future of United Nations peacekeeping is questionable. Widely regarded as a pillar of the UN’s role in international affairs, it has been tainted in recent years by scandal, animosity in the nations where its missions are stationed, and waning interest among member states as the globe grows more divided. In September, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the undersecretary-general for peace operations, warned the Security Council, “Peacekeeping faces formidable challenges.” “Operations are increasingly unable to rely on member states to act in a strong, unified manner to support peacekeeping efforts as geopolitical tensions have mounted,” he stated. One outcome of the growing disenchantment is that peacekeeping frequently appears to fumble along, bringing about significant decreases in suffering and violence but failing to contribute to the resolution of conflicts. Additionally, nations have been less willing to use blue-helmet operations as a conflict resolution tactic.
Reimagining UN peacekeeping in a changing world
These difficulties have forced the UN to reflect on how best to modify peacekeeping to reflect the realities of a world that is fracturing. A fresh independent research on the topic, titled “The Future of Peacekeeping, New Models, and Related Capabilities,” was released by the organization on November 1. El-Ghassim Wane, who oversaw the peacekeeping force in Mali before its overthrow by the military-led government in 2023; Paul Williams, a professor at George Washington University; and Ai Kihara-Hunt, a professor at the University of Tokyo, were the three experts who wrote it for the UN’s Department of Peace Operations. In anticipation of the Peacekeeping Ministerial, an intergovernmental conference on UN peacekeeping that takes place every two years, the paper aims to provoke thought. The next meeting is planned to be held in Berlin in May 2025. Williams told PassBlue,
“We think the peacekeeping record is pretty good.”
“Therefore, it remains a highly worthwhile investment.”
According to Williams, the study challenges the generally pessimistic outlook on peacekeeping. Its accomplishments over its lengthy history have tended to be overshadowed by recent disappointments and fleeting recollections. “We wanted to remind people and jog their memory of the many accomplishments peacekeeping has made over the past 75 years.”
Experts weigh the future of UN peacekeeping
The report outlines 30 “models” that explain the past and potential future functions of peacekeeping. These include sending in peacekeepers to quell an impending war (model 1), assisting in the holding of free and fair elections (model 11), and safeguarding humanitarian aid convoys and shipments (model 22). According to Williams, the models serve as a “menu of options” from which UN member nations can select possible answers to specific issues. Each model outlines the strategic goal it aims to achieve, the duties peacekeepers would carry out to achieve that goal, and the resources a future mission would require to succeed.
