The Future of UN Peacekeeping – The UN Secretary General’s Vision By Elysee Niyigena, Communications Officer, RSCE
“We are on the verge of a new era. The post-cold war period is over, and we are moving towards a new global order and a multipolar world.” Said the UN Secretary General (UN SG) Antonio Guterres while presenting the Policy Brief on a New Agenda for Peace which outlines his vision of multilateral efforts for peace and security. He says that the world is facing a crisis and threats that ‘require urgent, united action.’ The policy brief offers a blueprint for reshaping UN peacekeeping to meet the evolving needs of a changing world. The UN SG suggests that in order to achieve peace and prosperity in a world full of threats and conflicts, “we must adapt to the geopolitical realities of today and the threats of tomorrow.” He calls on member states to update the multilateral peace operations for today’s world. In the New Agenda for Peace, he proposes twelve concrete sets of proposals for action, in five priority areas, that if implemented by member states, it would help to solve many problems and gaps currently in peace processes. •
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Strong measures to bolster prevention at the global level, by addressing strategic risks and geopolitical divisions. This calls for the enforcement of the regional and subregional organizations to tackle geopolitical challenges. Preventing conflict and violence and sustaining peace that applies to everyone in all countries, at all times. It calls for a paradigm for prevention that addresses all forms of violence. Focuses on mediation, promotes social cohesion, prioritizes the links between SDGs, climate action and peace, and that is anchored in full respect for human rights.
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Update our approach to peace operations, recognizing the realities of today’s conflicts. Calls for nimble, adaptable models with appropriate exit strategies in place.
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Prevent the weaponization of emerging domains and technologies and promote responsible innovation.
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Updating our collective security machinery to restore its legitimacy and effectiveness. Calls for urgent reforms to the Security Council to make it more just and representative, and the democratization of its procedures.
Secretary-General has been at the forefront of advocating for a more agile, adaptable, and effective UN peacekeeping system. He acknowledges that the current landscape of conflict is vastly different from what it was when UN peacekeeping missions were first established. He also stressed the importance of adequate funding for peacekeeping operations to ensure that peacekeepers have the necessary resources and equipment to carry out their missions effectively. UN Peacekeepers put their lives on the line every day to ensure peace and security in the countries they are assigned to. But they face challenges including losing their lives because the meaning of peacekeeping has changed. The SG emphasizes the need for regional organizations enforcement and involvement of African nations to finding home grown solutions. “Peacekeeping operations cannot succeed where there is no peace to keep,” he says.
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