As funding cuts bite, UN chief announces new dawn for peacekeeping

Addressing the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 in the German capital, the Secretary-General told dozens of ministers from more than 130 countries that peacekeepers remain key to “help countries move from conflict to peace.”

“In trouble spots around the world, Blue Helmets can mean the difference between life and death,” he insisted. “They are also a clear demonstration of the power of multilateral action to maintain, achieve and sustain peace.”

Despite the proven value of peacekeeping missions in ensuring a durable peace in countless countries from Cambodia to Liberia and Timor Leste, Mr. Guterres warned that today’s challenges have made this task much harder.

“We are now facing the highest number of conflicts since the founding of the United Nations and record numbers of people fleeing across borders in search of safety and refuge,” he said, before alluding to additional obstacles caused by an absence of political support for peacekeeping mandates.

The UN’s peacekeeping budget runs on a July-June cycle and has unpaid arrears of $2.7 billion.

Practical approach

To counter this and in the face of “dramatic financial constraints” now affecting the UN in its entirety, the Secretary-General announced an urgent review of operations to inspire a new peacekeeping model that is “fit for the future.”

In coming years, “a clear exit strategy” for Blue Helmets will be key, Mr. Guterres said, as well as working with Member States and the Security Council “to ensure that any new mandates “are prioritized and achievable with the resources available.”

Other clues about what UN peacekeeping 2.0 could look like post-reform might possibly be gleaned from the missions that the UN chief referred to in his speech in Germany.

Active missions such as UNIFIL in Lebanon have already shown that it is possible to adapt to today’s challenges while still ensuring peace and aid deliveries, Mr. Guterres noted.

And in a nod to MINUSCA in Central African Republic, the Secretary-General highlighted its work in protecting civilians “and assisting the government to extend its reach beyond the capital where people are in desperate need.”

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, too and despite ongoing fighting there, peacekeepers from MONUSCO also remain in the field and protect vulnerable populations, the UN chief maintained.

As Member States prepared to announce financial pledges for peacekeeping on Wednesday, Mr. Guterres stressed that the overall budget for missions represented only 0.5 per cent of global military spending.

Peacekeeping “is only as strong as Member States’ commitment to it,” stressed Mr. Guterres.

Amid massive cuts to UN funding by Member States, it remains to be seen if the upbeat mood in Berlin translates into desperately needed financial support for the global body’s peacekeeping operations.

“UN peacekeeping today is more vibrant than ever,” insisted Boris Pistorius, Minister of Defence of Germany. “It is and will remain a cornerstone of international stability. Let us commit to making it even more effective for the sake of those who depend on it.”

Cutbacks

The UN chief’s push to streamline the global body comes a day after his call to push ahead with major efficiency improvements and cost-cutting in response to the chronic liquidity crisis caused by Member States falling into arrears.

Important as these sweeping structural reforms are – with potential staff downsizing of up to 20 per cent – they are not the answer to the failure of some countries to pay the Organization to fulfil the mandates they have given it, Mr. Guterres insisted.

According to information provided by the UN Controller to the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), only $1.8 billion has been received against the $3.5 billion regular budget assessments for 2025 – a shortfall of around 50 per cent.

In the budget line for unpaid assessments these amounted to $2.4 billion on 30 April, with the United States owing about $1.5 billion, China $597 million, Russia $72 million, Saudi Arabia $42 million, Mexico $38 million and Venezuela $38 million. An additional $137 million has yet to be paid by other Member States.

For International Tribunals, total contributions outstanding totalled $79 million on 30 April.