Published on: 2026-09-18
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 18, 2026 Peace and Security
UN peacekeeping operations should be directed only to places where a peace agreement has already been reached or at least a stable ceasefire established. This was stated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday during a meeting of the Security Council.
According to him, over the past decades, the conditions in which “blue helmets” operate have fundamentally changed. Peace agreements are concluded less frequently and turn out to be less durable, and most UN missions today operate where prospects for peace remain quite distant.
“They are required to contain the consequences of wars whose parties are almost not subjected to pressure aimed at ending the hostilities, while external forces sometimes only fuel the conflicts,” said the Secretary-General.
Peacekeepers and civilians are attacked in violation of international law amid growing impunity. At the same time, the nature of wars is rapidly changing due to drones, autonomous weapon systems, and disinformation spread through artificial intelligence. Budgets for missions are simultaneously being cut, and the number of military personnel and police officers in their ranks has noticeably decreased.
In this regard, Guterres emphasized that UN peacekeeping activities need a “restart.”
You cannot maintain peace where it does not exist
The first condition for success, the Secretary-General named the priority of diplomacy and peaceful resolution.
“Peacekeepers can do a lot to maintain peace. But we cannot maintain peace where there is no peace to maintain,” he said.
Guterres called on the Security Council to make more active use of the tools provided for by the UN Charter: to examine disputed situations before they escalate into wars, to visit affected countries, and to achieve a common understanding of the facts. He noted that not every crisis requires the establishment of a new mission, but every crisis needs a political strategy and coordinated support from states.
Peace cannot be imported. It must be built from within – by national forces that hold the key role
The second priority should be a new partnership with countries hosting peacekeeping missions. “Peace cannot be imported. It must be built from within – by national forces that hold the key role,” said the UN chief.
He proposed considering the possibility of concluding a sort of agreement between the Security Council, the UN Secretariat, and the host country. In it, the parties could formalize their commitments to fulfilling the mission’s mandate, allocating the necessary forces and equipment, as well as the use of modern technologies.
Realistic mandates and adequate funding
The third direction concerns the mandates of peacekeeping operations themselves. Before deploying a mission, the Security Council must clearly define what it should achieve in the long term, set specific interim goals, and provide from the outset for an exit strategy.
According to the Secretary-General, mandates should focus on what peacekeeping missions do best: political work, ensuring security, and, when provided for, protecting the civilian population. If the situation changes, the mandate must also change.
The fourth priority named by Guterres was ensuring that missions have the necessary resources and authority. Strict budget rules and administrative procedures prevent operations from responding to events quickly enough. Savings are important, he noted, but they cannot substitute the obligation of states to provide predictable and adequate funding for peacekeeping.
Missions require modern mobility means, new military and police capabilities, as well as counter-drone technologies. At the same time, in some countries, peacekeepers are still not allowed to use equipment considered basic for any modern military structure.
The Secretary-General also called for ensuring full participation of women at all levels and for accountability both for misconduct by mission personnel and for attacks on peacekeepers.
“Every day, in some of the most dangerous places on the planet, peacekeepers create space for dialogue and open paths to peace. They do this while facing enormous risk, and too many have paid the ultimate price,” he said.
Peacekeeping or Compulsion to Peace
The fifth priority involves closer cooperation between the UN and regional organizations, host country authorities, humanitarian agencies, and development entities. Guterres assigned a special role to the African Union and called for the implementation of the Security Council’s decision on predictable funding for operations under its leadership.
The Secretary-General emphasized the need to clearly distinguish peacekeeping from peace enforcement. If the situation requires military action, it can be carried out by regional forces or coalitions — as was decided in the case of Haiti — with logistical and technical support from the UN.
No mandate, no budget, and no technology can replace the unity of the Security Council
However, the use of force must always be part of a political strategy, comply with the Charter and international law, and remain under the control of the Security Council. Otherwise, warned Guterres, it may only worsen the conflict it is meant to end.
“No mandate, no budget, and no technology can replace the unity of the Security Council,” the Secretary-General said. According to him, people living in the shadow of war still place their hopes on the “blue helmets,” and the United Nations must justify this trust.
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