‘Effective Policing Central to Peacekeeping amid Liquidity Crisis’, UN Senior Official Tells Security Council, as Budget Cuts Force Hard Choices
Against the backdrop of budget cuts and a severe liquidity crisis, United Nations peace operations and their police contingents are making hard choices — often in very difficult conditions — to deliver on their mandates, the Security Council heard today in a briefing by senior officers.
“Let us be clear: efficiency is essential,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, who addressed the 15-member organ at the meeting’s outset. “However, the pursuit of efficiency cannot substitute predictable and sustainable financing.”
Stressing that the joint responsibility for peacekeeping is all the more crucial at a time when multilateralism is facing unprecedented pressure, he said today’s meeting also comes as the Pact for the Future’s mandated review of peace operations is entering its final phase — “a decisive opportunity to rethink how we deploy, finance and support our missions in an increasingly complex security environment”.
Meanwhile, the UN80 reform initiative and a severe liquidity crisis have already forced peace operations to reduce their civilian staff and repatriate military and police personnel. “As the Secretary-General has repeatedly emphasized, peacekeeping’s ability to carry out its mandates will be seriously compromised in the absence of full and timely payment of assessed contributions,” he warned.
Outlining core pillars of the renewed Action for Peacekeeping strategy, he cited its commitment to political solutions, its focus on communities, information integrity and zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. “Policing must remain a core element of future peace operations,” he stressed.
Effective Policing Foundational to Peacekeeping, Civilian Protection
“This year’s Police Week takes place at a moment of reflection and transition,” said UN Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar. He agreed that multilateralism is under profound strain, and the global peace and security landscape is shaped by fragile geopolitical conditions and persistent conflict.
“Yet, UN police remain a cornerstone of the Organization’s efforts to support peace, protect civilians and shape accountable and representative national security institutions wherever we serve,” he said. Challenges range from deteriorating security environments to the increasingly sophisticated threat of transnational criminal networks, to mis- and dis-information and the impact of persistent resource constraints.
Still, police have made strides. Officers in the Central African Republic helped draft some of the country’s key security policies — including the Framework Security Law — which directly supported elections in late 2025. In Sudan’s Abyei region, UN police trained Community Protection Committees and supporting local mediation work. “We encourage Member States to maintain this dynamic so that the gains achieved and the progress made […] are preserved,” he said.
Mamouna Ouedraogo, Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)’s Police Component, described her officers’ work in one of the world’s most challenging security environments. UN police officers support intelligence-informed deployments, take part in structured joint patrols with the Congolese National Police and mentor national officers.
While the Mission’s police deployment ceiling remains unchanged, she said the UN’s new Liquidity Contingency Plan has reduced the deployment of individual police officers and Formed Police Units to roughly half their authorized strength. Forced to prioritize, the Mission has focused on the protection of women and children in displacement-affected and other critical areas.
“The experience of MONUSCO confirms that effective policing is not peripheral to peacekeeping,” she said. “It is foundational to civilian protection, conflict prevention, accountability and sustainable stabilization.” Under severe constraints, UN police continue to deliver tangible protection outcomes and will continue to focus on consolidating gains, she said.
Meinolf Schlotmann, Police Commissioner for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said the country’s vast size, limited road network and long periods of seasonal inaccessibility makes the Mission’s work challenging under the best of circumstances. “Even before current constraints, UNMISS could not be everywhere at once,” he said.
He echoed the importance of prioritization — especially to population centres and high-risk areas — while extending the Mission’s presence through long-range patrols and rotational deployments. Like in other missions, the liquidity crisis has forced UNMISS to implement deep cuts and hiring freezes, which have reduced aviation hours and fuel and movement support. Meanwhile, the consolidation and closure of field locations have strained officers’ ability to engage communities in high-risk areas.
Council members also outlined their visions for UN peace operations at a time of institutional strain.
“In a global context marked by a lack of funding for peace […] now is the time to think about the safety and well-being of UN police,” said Panama’s representative. He drew attention to the crucial work being carried out by those officers, including at times of missions’ transitions, noting that today’s briefing shows that it has become increasingly difficult to protect civilians on the ground.
Pakistan’s speaker, noting that his country has deployed over 50 Formed Police Units in support of UN peace operations, warned that missions today are operating under acute financial distress. “Further reductions will only undermine peacekeeping efforts,” he cautioned, urging all States to pay their assessed contributions in full and on time.
Peacekeeping Mandates Will Need to Match Available Resources
The representative of Colombia joined other speakers in insisting on mission mandates that balance expectations with available resources. Ground realities and the UN Charter must guide the definition of clear and realistic mandates, which should be accompanied by “sufficient and predictable resources”.
Liberia’s representative, also speaking for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia, paid tribute to all the blue helmets and blue berets — including many from African nations — serving under the UN flag. “UN policing works best when it strengthens national institutions, not when it substitutes for them,” he said. Citing Liberia’s own example, he said the UN delivered lasting police reforms anchored in community trust. “This Council must continue to avoid the temptation to make peacekeeping mandates about the interests of individual members,” he added.
China’s delegate agreed, emphasizing that the deployment of UN police must be fully in line with broader UN peacekeeping principles — including respect for national sovereignty and leadership. “The ultimate goal of [UN police] is not to replace local actors, but to help host Governments enhance their law enforcement capabilities.”
“Police play a key role in the life of any State,” said the representative of the Russian Federation. She echoed other speakers in warning against situations where UN police replace national officers for long periods of time, while stressing that — given the substantial cuts facing UN missions — officers must be properly equipped, well trained and highly motivated.
France’s delegate said UN police officers bring their expertise to crisis situations, such as Haiti, where gang violence and transnational criminal networks pose a major threat. The representative of the United States, similarly, drew attention to the Gang Suppression Force recently authorized by the Council to deploy to Haiti. “We expect to learn valuable lessons” from its work, she said, with police and military contingents working together to neutralize gangs.
Several speakers — including the representatives of Denmark and Bahrain — called for concerted efforts to help UN police to adapt to emerging, modern-day challenges. The latter stressed that mandates need to be clear, flexible and realistic, while joining other speakers in underlining the critical role of capacity-building, training and other partnerships with host Governments.
The representatives of Greece and Latvia, striking a similar tone, spotlighted the need to harness cutting-edge technology in peace operations. “From uncrewed aerial vehicles to [artificial intelligence]-enabled data platforms, technologies can play a crucial role as a force multiplier,” said the latter.
The representative of the United Kingdom, Council President for February, said in his national capacity that women’s participation in UN peace operations is “an operational necessity, not an optional extra”. His country pledged $685,000 in 2025 to the Elsie Initiative Fund, aimed at removing barriers to women’s participation in peacekeeping.
Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here.