The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Wednesday that calls for accountability for crimes committed against UN peacekeepers.
Resolution 2823 (2026) calls upon all relevant stakeholders to cooperate with the UN to facilitate the identification, investigation and prosecution of perpetrators without delay.
The text was put forward by Denmark and Pakistan, two of the Council's non-permanent members, and supported by more than 150 countries.
Against impunity
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad of Pakistan introduced the draft on behalf of the two co-sponsors.
He recalled that nearly 4,500 UN blue helmets have lost their lives in the line of duty, including 183 from Pakistan.
He noted that the text builds on two previous resolutions which strengthened the Council's engagement on the safety and security of peacekeepers.
Across several missions, attacks against peacekeepers have increased in number and sophistication, he said. Moreover, peacekeepers are being targeted, often with little accountability.
"When peacekeepers are killed or injured as a result of attacks while performing mandates authorised by this Council, then the Council must remain seized on what happens next: whether facts are established, whether investigations are being pursued, whether perpetrators have been identified and whether justice is done," he said.
"Impunity for such crimes cannot be allowed to fester. There must be accountability."
Supporting investigations
The resolution requests the UN Secretary-General to ensure that in the event of future attacks, peacekeeping operations will promptly establish clear factual records of the incidents and make them available for investigations by host countries.
It calls for all relevant States and other relevant actors to cooperate fully with such investigations.
The Secretary-General is requested to designate a senior focal point on accountability for crimes against peacekeepers, including to bolster coordination and capacity to address these issues.
The UN chief is further requested to submit an annual report to the Council on the status of cases related to killing or acts of violence, with the first due within 120 days.
'A strong and important message'
The unanimous support for the resolution "sends a strong and important message", Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen of Denmark said after the vote.
To the more than 50,000 personnel currently serving at UN peacekeeping missions across the globe, it says that the Security Council "stands firmly behind them", she said.
For troop- and police-contributing countries, "it sends a message of reassurance that in the event of any crime against the peacekeepers, this Council and the United Nations systems is ready, willing and able to step in," she added.
And for perpetrators, "it sends a firm message that the international community is watching, that crimes will not go unpunished and that accountability and justice will be pursued and will be upheld."
