Highlighting Importance of Peacekeeping Worldwide, Fourth Committee Underscores Need to Tackle Increasing Attacks, Build Trust, Meet Contemporary Needs
From the deserts of the Middle East to the forests of Africa, blue helmets are protecting civilians and stabilizing the most dangerous zones of the world, speakers from some of the largest troop-contributing countries told the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today as it continued its debate on peacekeeping.
However, they voiced concern about increasing attacks on peacekeepers and called for accountability for such crimes. Several delegates stressed the need to build trust with host countries and reaffirmed commitment to the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping and the ambition of the recently adopted Pact for the Future to adapt peacekeeping to meet complex contemporary needs. Speakers also stressed the need to ensure that peacekeepers are well trained and held responsible for any crimes they commit in host countries.
Currently more than 6,000 peacekeepers from Nepal are deployed across 11 missions, some of them in the most challenging theatres, that country’s delegate said. Recalling the country’s first deployment, to the United Nations Observer Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL) in 1958, he said that over 155,000 Nepali men and women have served in 44 missions — 93 of those made the ultimate sacrifice. Stressing the need for a robust political strategy, he said Member States, particularly the Security Council, must unite to support political solutions and leverage diplomatic influence to foster peace agreements. Peacekeeping has evolved from mere ceasefire monitoring to sophisticated operations with mandates covering civilian protection, rule of law and human rights. Missions are facing more intense security threats, operational constraints and political challenges, which, in turn, is leading to premature drawdowns and attacks against peacekeepers, he pointed out.
The representative of Uruguay called for global cooperation to combat misinformation, fake news and hate speech that jeopardize the stability of missions. Noting that civilian protection is a “critical pillar” of peacekeeping, which requires continuous innovation, she highlighted her country’s co-hosting of a preparatory conference in Montevideo for the Berlin Ministerial Meeting on Peacekeeping and said that it will allow Member States to examine the future of peacekeeping. “Women’s presence in peacekeeping strengthens legitimacy and contributes to mission stability,” she added.
The representative of Thailand said that comprehensive threat assessments, peacekeeping intelligence and information analysis could help anticipate dangerous situations. Her country applies a people-centred approach in peacekeeping operations. She stressed the need for cooperation among the Security Council, troop-contributing countries and the UN Secretariat to reinforce more accountability. For the missions to fulfil clear and realistic mandates, it is essential to provide sustainable, predictable financing and necessary resources as well as to counter misinformation and disinformation, she said.
The representative of Bangladesh, noting that nearly 200,000 peacekeepers from his country have served under the blue helmet, said they include police and troops but also judges and corrections officers. Stressing the importance of clear, sequenced and prioritized mandates that are realistic and achievable, he also highlighted the importance of viable exit strategies planned well ahead of time to ensure smooth transitions. It is also crucial to ensure that all of this be in line with the national priorities of the host country. As Co-Chair of the Group of Friends to Promote Accountability for Crimes against Peacekeepers, Bangladesh emphasizes the need to hold perpetrators accountable even after the drawdown of missions, he said. He highlighted the precarious situation on the ground and strongly condemned the recent attack on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers.
The representative of Brunei Darussalam, also pointing out indiscriminate attacks in the Lebanese territories, particularly across the Blue Line, said these have resulted in injuries to several UNIFIL peacekeepers. He joined a call for an immediate and independent international inquiry that assesses the violation of Council Resolution 1701 (2006) and ensures accountability for such unacceptable actions. Noting that 464 Royal Brunei Armed Forces personnel have been deployed to participate in UNIFIL in the last two decades, including female personnel, he underscored the need for contingency plans that prioritize the safety and security of peacekeepers.
However, Israel’s delegate, highlighting the threat of non-State actors and terrorist organizations, said her country has warned repeatedly of Hizbullah’s escalatory violations within UNIFIL's area of operations. That organization “intentionally embeds its operatives within civilian areas”, she said. While UNIFIL was to play a key role in maintaining stability along the Blue Line, the Mission has faced increasing obstacles, primarily due to Hizbullah, which, for years, has carried out its military build-up within the Mission’s area of operations. This is why Israel recommended UNIFIL forces temporarily relocate themselves five kilometres north of the Blue Line to avoid danger, she said, adding that Iran is supporting and defending its proxies, such as Hizbullah. “Israel will do what it must to protect its people and preserve their safety and security,” she underscored.
“Israel is not satisfied with the crimes it's been perpetrating for over a year now against Palestinians”, Egypt’s delegate said, and is using a fallacious pretext to extend its horrific war to Lebanon. Expressing concern about the increase in hostile acts targeting blue helmets, he noted that his country “has lost martyrs” in the mission in Mali. Calling for measures to restore trust between peacekeeping operations and the host country, he highlighted the Cairo Roadmap for Enhancing Peacekeeping Performance, which calls for quadrilateral dialogue between host countries, troop- and police-contributing countries, the Security Council and the Secretariat. “If we are to tackle challenges which fall outside the purview of peacekeeping, such as combating terrorism”, he added, it is crucial to finalize the mechanism for implementing Council resolution 2719 (2023), which calls for funding for African Union-led peace support operations.
South Africa’s delegate also voiced hope that resolution 2719 (2023) would resolve challenges to securing adequate, sustainable and predictable financing of African-led peace support operations. Beyond elaborating realistic and achievable mandates, it is necessary to examine existing and new models of peace operations, he said, as he reiterated his country’s commitment to zero tolerance for all misconduct, particularly sexual exploitation. South Africa is among the countries contributing the highest number of uniformed women to UN peacekeeping operations, he said, stressing the need to improve the representation of women in military contingents.
“The African Union is a reliable partner,” Algeria’s delegate said, describing the adoption of resolution 2719 (2023) as an important milestone. He also drew attention to the importance of human rights components in peacekeeping mandates, adding: “Without such a tool, the mission’s presence on the ground will lack legitimacy and credibility.” In this regard, the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) represents an anomaly that must be addressed by the international community, he said, adding that it is the only operation among those deployed in Africa that does not have such a mandate. While some Member States do not miss any occasion to lecture others about the importance of reporting and monitoring human rights violations, they appear to succumb to double standards with regard to Western Sahara, he added.
The representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea said that when peacekeeping operations are decided based on some States’ vested interests, this undermines confidence in peacekeeping. He highlighted the resolution adopted in April on extending the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), adding that the United States unilaterally introduced this text to intervene in the elections in that country. Further, the UN Command “illegally rigged up” by the United States in the Republic of Korea should have been dissolved long ago, he said, describing it as a tool of aggressive war that “has nothing to do with the peacekeeping”.
The representative of Haiti said the fundamental principles of peacekeeping — host State consent, impartiality and non-use of force — are crucial for a mission’s success and building trust with local communities. Turning to the Security Council’s decision to renew the mandate of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission in his country through resolution 2751 (2024), he called on the international community to fulfil its promises of financial and material support. The joint efforts of the Haitian national police, armed forces and the Mission have reverted some districts to stability. He called on the Council to consider transforming the Mission into a “genuine” peacekeeping operation as that would “strengthen the Mission’s capacity, ensure more stable funding and broaden Member State involvement”. Recalling the painful legacy of previous UN missions in Haiti, including the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), he pointed out “allegations of serious human rights violations, including sexual abuse” by some members of these missions. “The absence of any prosecutions or reparations has only served to exacerbate the sentiment of impunity,” he said.
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