Future of UN Peace Operations - UN Chief's Briefing | United Nations

Presenting the findings of the Review on the Future of all Forms of United Nations Peace Operations, Secretary-General António Guterres said, “peace cannot be brought in from abroad,” and stressed that “peace operations can only be effective if their mandates support the national actors who ultimately hold the key to sustainable peace.” The Secretary-General said peacekeeping “must adapt again to dramatic new realities” as “we are witnessing a resurgence of conflict between states. And an intensification of internal conflicts — now increasingly internationalized, more protracted, and harder to resolve.” He said, “we see the increasing military use of drones and the looming prospect of autonomous lethal weapons, powered by artificial intelligence. The growing involvement of transnational criminal networks. A wider range of State and non-state actors getting their hands on deadly technologies. The renewed threat of nuclear weapons. The frequent targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. And a mounting sense of impunity, as parties violate international law and States ignore their Charter obligations.” At the same time, Guterres noted, “comprehensive peace agreements are less common.” He said, “over the past three decades, our missions were deployed primarily to support conflict parties in reaching and implementing a comprehensive peace agreement after a civil war. But today such frameworks are increasingly rare, harder to achieve, and more fragile.” The Review, the Secretary-General said, outlines ways to “strengthen partnerships, including through structured consultations among the Security Council, host States, troop- and police-contributing countries, and the Secretariat.” He said, “peace operations should be focused on areas where they hold a clear, comparative advantage — particularly politics and security and, where mandated, the protection of civilians. Missions must also remain responsive to realities on the ground. When circumstances change significantly, mandates must evolve accordingly.” Guterres stressed that “responsible stewardship of resources is essential,” and added that “delivering on our commitment to efficiency and effectiveness across all peace operations requires a sharper focus on impact and results.” He called for a sharper focus on peacemaking; stronger partnerships with host States; focused and adaptable mandates; a clear division of labour; more agile operations; greater cost-efficiency and accountability; readiness and technological capability; and stronger global-regional partnerships. At the Summit of the Future in 2024, the General Assembly adopted the Pact for the Future, which among various actions, requested the Secretary-General to “undertake a review on the future of all forms of United Nations peace operations, taking into account lessons learned from previous and ongoing reform processes, and provide strategic and action-oriented recommendations for the consideration of Member States on how the United Nations toolbox can be adapted to meet evolving needs, to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.” The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) jointly led the review on the future of all forms of United Nations peace operations. The outcome of this review has been submitted to the General Assembly and the Security Council in August 2026 as a report of the Secretary-General.