Stressing Importance of Accountability, Safety in Peacekeeping Missions, Fourth Committee also Underscores Need to Close Gender Gap in Field Operations
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today began its general debate on United Nations peacekeeping operations, with senior UN officials emphasizing the importance of accountability to maintain trust in peacekeepers and calling for increased gender parity in missions.
Assistant-Secretary-General for Operational Support Lisa Buttenheim, presenting for Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare, said that the integration of the women, peace and security agenda into field operations is imperative. The Senior Women Talent Pipeline aims to increase gender parity among P-5 to D-2 level civilian staff and last year supported the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) as it worked to close the gender gap. Against this backdrop, she strongly encouraged Member States to make the nomination, training and deployment of more uniformed women a priority.
Stressing the importance of the Organization’s accountability to peacekeepers to ensure their safety, security and well-being, she said the Department of Peace Operations oversees implementation of the Mental Health Strategy for United Nations Uniformed Personnel. Its accompanying digital platform — the United Nations’ MindCompanion — was launched in 16 languages last month. It is a valuable tool for all peacekeepers “to monitor their psychological well-being, access mental health resources and seek help at an early stage”, she added. The Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety Standards are being implemented across all peacekeeping operations, she added, highlighting the Environment Strategy for Peace Operations that has more than doubled the number of sites operating at minimum wastewater risk.
She further reported that quarterly reimbursements for contingent-owned equipment claims and uniformed personnel reimbursements are currently up to date. Training partnerships remain vital to improve personnel’s performance and ensure peacekeeping capabilities match mission needs, she said. “To date, more than 24,000 personnel have completed in-person, remote or e-learning Triangular Partnership Programme courses and have been deployed to various UN peacekeeping missions and African Union peace support operations,” she said.
Urging Member States to give peacekeeping full, consistent and unified political backing, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, warned that growing geopolitical divisions are eroding such support. Paying tribute to 49 brave peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice since the beginning of this year, she said the Action for Peacekeeping Initiative remained the overarching framework, while the Action for Peacekeeping Plus continues to serve as the implementation strategy.
Supporting and facilitating political solutions to conflict has remained a top priority, she said. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) continues to provide its good offices to support political processes at regional, national and local levels, while in South Sudan, UNMISS aims to advance consensual political solutions and complementary objectives through an inclusive, nationally and locally owned process. Also noting efforts to improve cooperation between missions and host authorities, she highlighted the updated 2024 policy on strategic communications in peace operations.
While noting fewer fatalities so far this year, she stressed the importance of enhanced safety and security measures. In the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), where peacekeepers have increasingly come under direct and indirect fire in recent weeks, public and private advocacy efforts have been crucial in underscoring the obligations of actors on the ground. She also noted efforts, across missions, to mitigate risks through strengthening contingency planning, improving casualty evacuation procedures and addressing impunity for crimes committed against peacekeepers. However, threats from hostile uncrewed aerial systems and improvised explosive devices have highlighted the need for specialized tools and training, including in the area of counter-drone capabilities, she added.
Reaffirming commitment to the full participation of women in peace and political processes, she said, as of October 2024, women represented 35 per cent of all Heads and Deputy Heads of Mission, compared to 29 per cent in December 2023. Of 10 currently deployed Heads and Deputy Heads of Police Components, five are women, she said, calling on Member States to continue to retain and nominate more uniformed women. “Equally important, we should recognize what peacekeeping cannot do,” she said, adding that enforcing peace by military means without the consent of key parties exceeds both mandates and capabilities. Regional organizations are sometimes better placed to step in, she noted, adding that Security Council Resolution 2719 (2024) has opened new horizons for partnerships.
Addressing the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse, Aruna Thanabalasingam, Director of the Administrative Law Division in the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, speaking on behalf of Under-Secretary-General Catherine Pollard for the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, noted that accountability remains critical to maintaining and restoring trust in the integrity and good conduct of peacekeeping personnel. “Sexual exploitation and abuse have no place in this world, and surely not in peacekeeping,” she stressed, underscoring the Department’s commitment to preventing, responding to and eradicating this abuse, while holding United Nations staff and personnel accountable for such acts. Against this backdrop, she outlined new updates to the misconduct/sexual exploitation and abuse risk management toolkit, including information on the victim-centered approach, sexual harassment and how to conduct risk management.
She emphasized the essential role of partnerships between the Secretariat and Member States in preventing misconduct, noting that action plans developed with personnel-contributing countries that have higher numbers of allegations reported, have contributed to a decrease in the number of such allegations in the last couple of years. She went on to note that, in 2023 and 2024, the Trust Fund in Support of Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse supported implementation of three projects to assist victims of sexual exploitation and abuse in Haiti, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. Working under the “No child left behind” principle, a high-level task force is finalizing a new framework to facilitate the resolution of paternity and child support claims in partnership with Member States, she said.
In line with the United Nations’ shift to a culture of high performance, a comprehensive job analysis initiative is in progress alongside internal evaluations of peacekeeping missions. On gender parity, she emphasized the Elsie Initiative, which improves living conditions and fosters supportive environments for women. Innovation and data-driven decision-making are crucial in peacekeeping to address current and emerging challenges, she noted, adding that the Department has enhanced technology platforms and analytical tools to support situational awareness in missions, performance and transparency.
In the ensuing debate, many delegates underscored the importance of clear mandates, calling for greater safety of the Blue Helmets, with the representative of New Zealand, speaking on behalf of Canada, Australia and her own country, voicing concern about “unacceptable” attacks on UN Peacekeeping troops in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). She emphasized that attacks on peacekeepers must never become normalised and must be investigated. Spotlighting a 20 per cent increase in 2023 in allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in field missions, she urged continued implementation of the zero-tolerance policy, with a renewed focus on prevention, accountability and support for victims’ rights.
Similarly, the representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, expressing concern about intensifying threats to peacekeepers posed by malicious players, also voiced alarm about direct attacks against peacekeepers, such as those recently witnessed by UNIFIL. Protection of peacekeepers and accountability for crimes against peacekeepers must remain high on the agenda. He noted that that the Union and its member States jointly contributed almost one quarter of the UN’s peacekeeping budget in 2024 and have 4,000 personnel deployed to missions. The bloc currently deploys 21 civilian and military operations of its own, he noted, adding that three of these directly implement Council mandates: Operation IRINI in the Mediterranean Sea; Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Operation ASPIDES in the Red Sea.
It is crucial to enhance the safety and security of peacekeepers, said the representative of Indonesia, speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), expressing support for ongoing efforts to improve medical and evacuation capacities of peacekeeping missions. Women peacekeepers have proven to increase the overall effectiveness of peacekeeping missions and are vital to achieving sustainable political solutions to conflict, he said, adding that ASEAN has a growing number of women peacekeepers in 10 UN operations worldwide. Noting that his group has 5,000 peacekeepers on the ground, he underscored the importance of realistic and achievable mandates. Tailoring exit strategies and viable transition plans for each mission must be part of a comprehensive approach, he said, also stressing the need for adequate resources.
Similarly, the representative of Morocco, speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, said the Security Council should strictly adhere to the UN Charter when establishing peacekeeping missions or extending their mandates. “Improving the effectiveness of peacekeeping requires the joint commitment of all involved,” he said, adding that the Council should work with host Governments and troop-contributing countries. Noting the Organization’s ongoing liquidity crisis, he urged Member States to fulfil their financial contributions on time. “The troop-contributing countries should not endure any financial burdens,” he said.
Venezuela’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, stressed that the role of UN peacekeeping operations should be oriented towards the affected State, not as victims needing protection, but as a fundamental actor in developing a long-term peace and development project. Each mission must start with a plan fully coordinated with the national Government, through a clear, realistic and achievable mandate, and consultations with the troop-contributing countries. “Only in this way can the credibility and efficiency of the mission be guaranteed,” he said.
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