A severe funding shortfall is threatening to cripple UN peacekeeping operations worldwide, with the Organization warning that it will have to scale back patrols, close field offices and repatriate thousands of ‘blue helmets’ due to delayed payments from Member States.
The offer sounded almost unreal. The UN was fishing around for someone with a knack for building prisons – preferably a woman – to join its mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Would she go?
The UN Secretary-General opened the General Assembly high-level debate with a stark message: the world is awash with overlapping crises – from wars and humanitarian emergencies to climate breakdown – and leaders must decide now “what kind of world we choose to build together.”
Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark call to world leaders on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level week, warning that a “global crisis” of war, climate change, inequality and technological risk demands urgent, coordinated action.
During a year of escalating global turmoil – from widening wars and economic hardship to the relentless advance of the climate crisis – the United Nations has held its ground, working to promote peace, drive sustainable development, and ease human suffering.
With a record number of active conflicts worldwide, the Security Council met on Tuesday to debate the future of UN peace operations.
In an era marked by geopolitical fragmentation and rising global tensions, United Nations peace operations face unprecedented challenges, but senior officials told the Security Council on Tuesday that with renewed political will and strategic adaptation, these missions remain indispensable tools for conflict resolution and protection of civilians worldwide.
After nearly three decades on the frontlines of UN’s peace operations – from Timor-Leste’s turbulent independence referendum to Western Sahara’s protracted ceasefire and Cyprus’ frozen conflict – Colin Stewart is leaving the Organization with his faith in it intact.
The General Assembly on Monday approved a $5.38 billion budget for UN peacekeeping operations for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, down slightly from the previous year, as delegates wrapped up weeks of negotiations amid warnings about persistent funding challenges.
