Opening of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations

It is my pleasure join you for the opening of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations’ substantive session.

I deliver this statement on behalf of the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency Mr. Philemon Yang, who sends his sincere regrets as he is unable to join us, due to his official travel commitment.

The maintenance of international peace and security is the raison d’être of our Organization.

And United Nations peacekeeping operations are the flagship instrument for discharging that responsibility.

For nearly 80 years, United Nations peacekeepers have protected civilians from violence, supported political dialogue between parties to conflict, preserved ceasefires, acted as guarantors for peace agreements, worked to rebuild trust, and fostered regional stability.

As the operational environment has become increasingly challenging, the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers remains of utmost importance.

I pay tribute to the men and women who have served and continue to serve in peacekeeping operations for their remarkable courage, professionalism and dedication, particularly those who have made the supreme sacrifice.

Since 1948, more than 3,500 personnel have lost their lives serving in United Nations peace operations.

In this year alone, we have seen peacekeepers killed in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Central African Republic.

I strongly condemn these and any attacks against United Nations peacekeepers.  

Countries represented in the Special Committee are the main stakeholders in United Nations peacekeeping.

You put forward your most precious resource – your people – in support of peace, often times in the darkest corners of conflict.

As you know better than most, peacekeepers are confronted with a host of complex and evolving challenges, from climate-related crises to lethal and disruptive technologies, to political discord, polarization, and new non-State armed groups.

Going forward, we will need mandates suited for an evolving threat landscape.

We will need improved capacity to assess conflict situations, and we will need effective planning and management throughout the peacekeeping cycle.

This year, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325 and the Women and Peace and Security Agenda, I encourage the Special Committee to continue working towards the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace operations.

I also encourage you to ensure that multilingualism is fully integrated into peacekeeping activities, enhancing the ability of peacekeepers to establish dialogue – and build trust – with local authorities and host communities.

As Germany prepares to host the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial in May, we must assess how contributing partners can calibrate peacekeeping capacities to better meet today’s multidimensional challenges.  

This includes the need to improve the cooperation of host countries and other critical parties, increase trust among stakeholders, and manage local and international expectations.

In the Pact for the Future, Member States reaffirmed the importance of enhanced collaboration between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations, particularly the African Union.

They also decided to ensure adequate, predictable and sustainable financing for African Union-led peace support operations mandated by the Security Council, in line with Security Council resolution 2719.

Our common security demands that we combine our efforts.

In this regard, excellencies, and as announced in my Priorities Briefing in January, I will hold a high-level dialogue on the peace and security in Africa, in June.

This event will focus on the future of peacekeeping and the role of regional organizations, such as the African Union, in leading that charge.

Indeed, only when the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, troop- and police-contributing countries and host countries work hand in hand as partners, we can ensure that peace operations become more efficient, more effective and thus successful.

Thank you.

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