UN Peacekeeping Under-Secretary General Jean-Pierre Lacroix addressed the Security Council on Monday, saying that UN peacekeeping can only be effective through the collective cooperation of countries.
Addressing the ambassadors in the Security Council, he said, geopolitical tensions have increased and this has also been seen in the Security Council. In this context, amid changing global and regional dynamics, peacekeeping operations cannot rely on member states to act efficiently and cohesively in accordance with their mandates.
The Under-Secretary-General said that peacekeeping operations today face challenges such as transnational organized crime, illicit exploitation of resources, the effects of climate change, proliferation of cheap weapon-technology and targeted disinformation campaigns.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix said, despite these challenges, about 70,000 peacekeepers continue their brave work. These peacekeepers contribute daily to protecting civilian lives, clearing explosive remnants of war and unexploded ordnance, enforcing fragile ceasefires, and preventing conflict and conflict from escalating.
In this context, he specifically mentioned the contribution of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, South Sudan and Abyei.
Constraints on peacekeeping
UN peacekeepers undoubtedly play an important role in maintaining stability, but their efforts alone are not sufficient without broad political support.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix stressed that UN peacekeepers, on their own, could only provide a limited amount of service.
In this situation, he called on the Security Council and member states to provide united support to the UN peacekeeping mission and encourage a political solution to the conflict.