Guterres urges no peacekeeping deployments without basic agreements
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a fundamental overhaul of peacekeeping, warning that missions should only deploy where a peace agreement or firm ceasefire exists. He presented a new report to the General Assembly outlining recommendations across the full spectrum of peace operations. The call comes as the world faces more wars than at any time since 1945 and a rising toll of combat deaths.
Key Facts
- Guterres said more wars are raging today than at any time since 1945, with more combat deaths in the past five years than in the previous 25.
- The Secretary-General stated that the share of conflicts resolved through peace agreements is the lowest in decades.
- Guterres declared that peacekeeping operations should be deployed only when a peace agreement or at least a firm ceasefire has been reached.
- The report, titled 'Review of the Future of All Forms of UN Peace Operations', recommends shifting focus to preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding, and close partnership with host countries.
- Guterres called for strengthening the technological capacity of peacekeeping missions amid funding cuts and demanded an end to attacks on UN peacekeepers with full accountability.
Changing Conflict Landscape
Guterres told the General Assembly that the nature of conflict is rapidly evolving, with increased use of drones, discussions on lethal autonomous weapons based on artificial intelligence, and a growing threat of nuclear weapons use. He noted that comprehensive peace agreements are being concluded less frequently, and the share of conflicts resolved through such agreements is the lowest in decades. Amid geopolitical tensions and polarization, UN peacekeeping operations face a crisis of resources and mandates, with member states increasingly diverging on how to understand threats to peace. Guterres warned that this divergence could result in mandates that lack clarity.
Proposed Reforms
The report calls for a large-scale 'reset' of the entire peacekeeping system and adaptation to new realities. It offers practical recommendations covering the full spectrum of peacekeeping tools, from the Office of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan and the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia to large multidimensional missions such as those in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. The strategy proposes a clear 'division of labour' with other UN structures and increased flexibility and operational speed of missions. Guterres also called for strengthening the technological capacity of peacekeeping operations against the backdrop of reduced funding.
Protection of Peacekeepers
Referring to the increasing attacks on blue helmets, Guterres demanded that attacks on UN peacekeepers stop and that perpetrators be held accountable. He stated: 'No impunity. No exceptions.'
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Guterres urges no peacekeeping deployments without basic agreements
