PRESS RELEASE : We must improve UN peacekeeping to meet today’s challenges – UK statement at the UN Security Council [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 September 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council open debate on strengthening UN Peacekeeping.

Thank you President. I thank our briefers, USG Lacroix, Dr Ero and Mr Al Hussein, for their insight and continued support to UN peacekeeping. Let me also thank the brave peacekeepers who put their lives at risk across the world every day, and pay tribute to those peacekeepers who lost their lives in the pursuit of peace this year.

President, UN peacekeeping is an indispensable element of the UN Security Council’s toolbox for global peace and security, and an important symbol of global cooperation. As peacekeeping faces new and systemic challenges, as we’ve heard, we must protect, and improve, this tool for the future. I would like to make three broad points this morning.

First, peacekeeping faces evolving challenges. These include the challenges of maintaining the relationship with host states and the importance of setting clear expectations on host state responsibilities.

This should reduce the risk of accelerated withdrawals of missions as we’ve seen recently. In addition, rising misinformation and disinformation against missions puts the safety and security of our peacekeepers at risk.

Peacekeeping needs stronger partnership and collaboration, as well as political support and consent, from host nations to ensure the effective delivery of mandates and well-planned transitions.

Second, we should continue to adapt our approach to meet unique needs of each context. Peacekeeping works best when there is a political process to support or a peace to keep. New missions should be better tailored, more nimble and flexible, with focused, realistic mandates.

We must continue to strengthen missions by boosting peacekeeping intelligence, situational awareness, embracing new technologies such as AI, and tackling sexual exploitation and abuse. We must all reaffirm our commitment to the Action for Peacekeeping Strategy and support its implementation.

Sustainable transitions, guided by best practice and lessons learned and which safeguard the protection of civilians, will also help ensure that the gains from missions are preserved.

Third, we should recognise the progress made on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and commit to all peace operations being fully representative and safe for women. Women’s contributions are integral in all stages of peacekeeping missions, including drawdowns, transitions and withdrawals.

The United Kingdom will continue to help create an enabling environment for women peacekeepers through our support to the Elsie Initiative Fund, the Senior Women Talent Pipeline, and through our bilateral training by the British Peace Support Team.

President, the UK remains a committed supporter of UN peacekeeping, including through deployment of peacekeepers and military advisers and of peacekeeping reform.

We look forward to more discussions, including at the Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference in Berlin and its Preparatory Conferences, on the ways we can help peacekeeping evolve to ensure it can effectively respond to the challenges of the future.