Supporting the first democratic elections after brutal civil wars in Mozambique and Cambodia. Disarming thousands of child soldiers in Sierra Leone. Helping to secure Namibia's independence from South Africa. These are some of the contributions of UN operations around the world to help countries transition from conflict to lasting peace.
As the world faces the highest number of conflicts since 1945 and a rising death toll from war alongside peace operations increasingly deployed to contain violence rather than implement agreements, the UN and its Member States must adapt to ensure these missions remain relevant, Secretary-General António Guterres told the General Assembly on Wednesday.
"UN peace operations are indispensable tools for maintaining international peace and security, but to be more effective, they must adapt to new realities," Mr. Guterres said.
At UN Headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General presented the first ever review on the future of all forms of UN peace operations at the request of the landmark Pact for the Future and offered recommendations for the consideration of Member States on how the UN toolbox can be adapted to meet evolving needs and future challenges.
What are UN peace operations?
The Secretary-General's review covers the wide spectrum of UN peace operations. That includes civilian special political missions and peace enforcement operations authorised by the Security Council - from a two-person office supporting a Personal Envoy to large, multidimensional peacekeeping operations.
"United Nations peace operations are a critical form of multilateral action," Mr. Guterres said.
"They help defuse crises, stop conflict, sustain ceasefires and protect civilians. In lands stained by bloodshed, they create space for dialogue and open pathways to peace."
'Blue Helmet' landscape
Since 1948, the Council has been authorising UN peacekeepers to help conflict parties reach political solutions, prevent disputes from devolving into conflicts and reduce armed violence while the search for a political solution continues, with 11 active missions .
Known colloquially as "Blue Helmets" for their distinctive uniform, UN peacekeepers are guided by three main principles : there must be consent of the parties to the conflict, impartiality and non-use of force except in self-defence or defence of their mandate.
Their work can be dangerous - more than 4,500 UN peacekeepers have died in missions around the world - and their efforts have been widely recognised, including when they collectively received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988 "for preventing armed clashes and creating conditions for negotiations".
Special political missions
Special political missions comprise civilian personnel deployed based on mandates from the Security Council to prevent conflicts, mediate peace discussions and support political transitions.
They do not rely on large military or armed forces, but instead work with governments, conflict parties, regional organizations and civil society.
The UN has deployed 167 such missions since 1948, with about 40 active in 2024, according to a review by the UN's Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs .
Peace enforcement
The Security Council authorises peace enforcement operations under Chapter VII of the UN Charter , which mandates them to apply a range of measures, including the use of military force.
Unlike peacekeeping and special political missions, peace enforcement does not always require the consent of the conflict parties, and "Blue Helmets" do not directly participate.
In a number of recent settings, such as Haiti, Mali and Somalia, UN peace missions have operated alongside Council-authorised peace enforcement operations by non-UN forces, carrying out mandates focused on supporting national political processes and wider peace consolidation tasks.
Council-mandated peace support operations deployed by the African Union also fall under this category.
Current state of affairs
The current operating environment for peace operations has deteriorated, the UN chief warned in his review.
Conflicts have become more complex, comprehensive peace agreements are less common and funding has declined, with recent cuts slashing nearly half a billion dollars for peacekeeping and $96.3 million for special political missions, according to the report.
For Mr. Guterres, peace operations cannot serve as an alternative for political will by the involved parties to end a conflict, although some current missions operate amid deadlocked talks and high violence.
"No peace operation and no political process supported by the United Nations can succeed without solid and cohesive support from Member States," he said.
From drones to disinformation
Mr. Guterres said mission mandates for peace operations must be narrowly focused with achievable objectives, adaptable, cost-efficient, accountable - especially involving claims of sexual exploitation and abuse - and cooperative with Member States and UN offices.
In practice, adaptation would mean more than rewriting mandates. The report calls for lighter and more mobile mission footprints, stronger data and threat analysis, technology to counter drones and disinformation and more measures to ensure peacekeepers' safety.
Mr. Guterres identified missions focused on peace in Colombia and a border dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria as examples of what peace operations can achieve under the right conditions.
Looking into the future
The Secretary-General's review also contains dozens of recommendations to "reset peace operations for a new geopolitical era", one marked by more wars, significant financial constraints and fragmented support for peacekeeping missions.
Recommendations include:
- Prioritising the creation of conditions for political processes to advance
- Deploying missions only around credible political purposes
- Strengthening partnerships with host States
- Clarifying the division of labour between UN agencies
- Planning exit strategies and transition plans at the outset
Above all, the future of UN peace operations relies on Member States' continued belief that despite their flaws, they remain essential instruments of creating the conditions to end conflicts, according to the UN chief.
"Together, we must build a shared vision of what each mission can achieve throughout its life cycle," Mr. Guterres said.
