Syllabus: GS2/IR
Context
- Geopolitical tensions and a funding crisis are jeopardising peacekeeping missions, particularly those under the auspices of the United Nations, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute warned.
Major Findings of the Report
- Sharp Decline in Peacekeeping Personnel: As of December 2025, only 78,633 international personnel were deployed in peacekeeping missions worldwide. This is the lowest level in at least 25 years, personnel strength has declined by nearly 49% since 2016.
- Decline in Number of Peace Operations: Only 58 multilateral peace operations were active in 2025 across 34 countries and territories.
- This was fewer than the previous year, indicating shrinking international engagement in conflict management.
- Concentration of Missions in Conflict Zones: Most personnel were concentrated in a few highly unstable regions: Central African Republic, South Sudan, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Lebanon.
- Sub-Saharan Africa alone hosted nearly 70% of deployed peacekeeping personnel.
Major Challenges Faced by Peacekeeping Operations
- Funding Crisis: One of the most serious challenges identified by SIPRI is the financial crisis affecting UN peacekeeping. It faced a funding shortfall of nearly USD 2 billion in 2025.
- Several member states failed to pay assessed contributions on time and budget cuts forced reductions in troop deployments and operational capabilities.
- Geopolitical Deadlock in the UNSC: The United Nations Security Council increasingly faces divisions among permanent members which leads to difficulty in launching new missions.
- Declining Political Support for Multilateralism: Major powers are increasingly prioritizing national interests, bilateral arrangements, ad hoc military coalitions, instead of supporting UN-led collective security frameworks.
- It reduces the legitimacy of international peace efforts and raises fragmented security responses.
- Changing Nature of Modern Conflicts: Modern conflicts are intra-state rather than inter-state, driven by terrorism and insurgencies, linked to ethnic and sectarian violence.
- Peacekeepers now face non-state armed groups, terrorist organizations, and hybrid warfare tactics.
- Traditional peacekeeping methods are often inadequate in such environments.
- Host-State Resistance: Many governments resist external intervention and limit operational freedom of peacekeepers. This reduces the effectiveness of missions on the ground.
- Weakness of Regional Alternatives: Since no major new UN-led peacekeeping mission has been established since 2014, regional organizations have attempted to fill the gap.
- Organizations such as the African Union and Economic Community of West African States often lack sufficient resources for long-term peacebuilding.
United Nations Peacekeeping Missions
- The United Nations Peacekeeping Missions are operations deployed by the United Nations to maintain international peace and security in conflict-affected regions.
- First peacekeeping mission was established in 1948, to monitor the armistice between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
- It was established and tasked by the UN Security Council.
- It serves as an important instrument of collective security and aims to prevent conflicts, protect civilians, support political processes, and assist countries in transitioning from conflict to peace.
- Key UN Peacekeeping Missions:
- MINUSTAH (Haiti): Worked for political stabilisation, security and humanitarian assistance in Haiti (2004–2017).
- UNMISET (East Timor): Supported stability, governance and security in East Timor (2002–2005).
- UNMIL (Liberia): Assisted peacebuilding, disarmament and post-conflict recovery in Liberia (2003–2018).
- MINURCAT (Central African Republic & Chad): Focused on civilian protection and regional stability (2007–2010).
- UNMOGIP (India–Pakistan): Monitors the ceasefire situation between India and Pakistan in Jammu & Kashmir (since 1949).
- Uganda became the top contributor of military personnel, followed by Nepal, Bangladesh and India.
- The United Nations Peacekeeping Forceswere awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988.
Principles of UN Peacekeeping
- Consent of the Parties: Peacekeeping operations require acceptance from major conflicting parties to operate effectively.
- Impartiality: Peacekeepers must remain neutral and unbiased among parties.
- Non-use of Force Except in Self-defence and Defence of Mandate: Force may be used only in self-defence, to protect civilians, and to implement the mission mandate.
Source: SIPRI
