UN Chief Calls for Peace Operations Overhaul Amid Global Crises
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a reset of UN peace operations to enable them to adapt to the current international environment, which is marked by increasing and more complex conflicts.
In a report submitted to the UN Security Council and the General Assembly:
Guterres noted that the world is experiencing the highest number of deadly and complex conflicts since 1945. These conflicts feature rising external interventions, the proliferation of non-state armed groups, and the interplay of conflict with terrorism, organised crime, violent extremism, and climate change.
He highlighted that UN peacekeeping operations remain an essential tool in helping conflict parties reach political solutions and implement peace agreements, calling for priority to be given to peacemaking efforts, preventive diplomacy, mediation, and political solutions.
The report urges:
- Mandates for UN peace missions to be more focused, flexible, and adaptable to shifting conflict environments.
- Adequate resources, clear objectives, long-term strategic vision, and appropriate exit strategies established right from the mission planning phase.
The UN chief emphasised the importance of strengthening partnerships with host countries and regional organisations, as well as enhancing coordination across the UN system.
The report stresses the necessity of reviewing the structures, command, and control arrangements of UN peacekeeping missions, empowering mission leadership to adjust resource deployment as conditions evolve.
Addressing rapid technological advancements, Guterres called for:
- Closing the technology gap in peace operations to better protect personnel and improve mission effectiveness,
- Tackling operational risks posed by new technologies like artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, drones, etc. in armed conflicts.
The report noted that resolving conflicts through peaceful means has grown significantly harder. While temporary arrangements like ceasefires and truces reduce violence, they are often fragile and short-lived.
Geopolitical divisions among Security Council members and the wider UN membership are complicating collective multilateral action.
