“Our peacekeeping operations must remain flexible and adaptable,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, highlighting that missions remain a vital tool to help countries move from conflict to lasting peace.
However, that role is increasingly difficult to fulfill.
Funding crisis and blind spots
Peacekeeping missions have faced “significant financial challenges” over the past year, prompting contingency measures that are already impacting performance on the ground, he said, warning that budget cuts are limiting the missions’ ability to carry out core mandates, including the protection of civilians and the security of UN staff.
Base closures and reduced air support have weakened situational awareness and early warning systems, “creating blind spots, limiting proactive intervention and timely deployment to critical points.”
Mr. Lacroix urged Member States to pay their contributions “in full and on time,” and emphasized that predictable resources are essential for missions to function effectively.
MINUSCA peacekeepers provide support during elections in the Central African Republic in December 2025.
‘Uneven and fragile’ progress in Central African Republic
On the ground in the Central African Republic (CAR), UN peacekeepers have helped support a period of relative stability after the December 2025 elections.which were carried out largely peacefully.
Lt. Gen. Humphrey Nyone, force commander of the U.N. mission there (MINUSCA), said the country has entered a “post-election consolidation phase,” with improved security in several regions.
But he warned that the situation remains “unequal and fragile.”
In parts of the northeast and southeast, armed groups continue to carry out attacks, including kidnappings and serious human rights violations. Instability is also being fueled by the fallout from the conflict in neighboring Sudan, where cross-border movements of armed elements and displaced civilians add pressure to already vulnerable communities.
At the same time, funding shortfalls are hampering MINUSCA’s ability to respond effectively.
Abyei: stable but precarious
A similar picture is emerging in Abyei, the disputed, oil-rich area straddling Sudan and South Sudan, where UN peacekeepers operate in particularly difficult conditions.
Major General Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), described the area as “relatively stable”, but stressed that this stability is “neither automatic nor self-sustaining”.
Rather, it is maintained through constant participation, patrols and coordination with local communities.
Low-level violence, including inter-communal clashes, livestock theft and criminal activity, continues to pose risks, while the presence of unauthorized armed groups violates existing agreements.
The situation has been further complicated by the war in Sudan, which has disrupted political processes and increased insecurity in the border region.
A UN peacekeeping helicopter flies over a village in West Africa.
New emerging threats
Drone warfare linked to the Sudan conflict has already caused U.N. casualties elsewhere and forced UNISFA to abandon key positions, including a logistics base.
These developments have raised serious questions about how the mission can continue to monitor and secure the demilitarized zone.
Across missions, UN officials emphasized the need to adapt peacekeeping to a rapidly evolving security environment.
While the missions employ new technologies such as drones and satellite imagery to improve situational awareness and force protection, “technology alone is not a solution,” Lacroix said.
Missions need sufficient and trained personnel, integrated planning and sustained resources.
Call for global commitment
Ultimately, UN officials emphasized that the The effectiveness of peacekeeping depends not only on operational improvements, but also on political will..
“The collective credibility of the United Nations depends on its ability and determination to act when civilians are in danger,” Lacroix said.
“Without the sustained and unequivocal support of this Council, our missions cannot fulfill the mandates entrusted to them nor can they fully support the political processes that are fundamental to lasting peace.”he added.