UN Peacekeeping is a lifesaving tool and smart investment

This March, some 35 years after the United Nations closed a landmark chapter in peacekeeping, Namibia inaugurated President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the country’s first democratically elected woman head of state.In 1989, despite rising global instability and a liquidity crisis at the UN, member states came together to launch the United Nations Transition Assistance Group, or UNTAG — a multidimensional peacekeeping mission that helped usher in Namibia’s independence.UNTAG didn’t just monitor a ceasefire in Namibia. It helped organise and secure the country’s first free and fair elections, protected civilians, verified troop withdrawals, and supported democratic transition across a vast and remote territory. It pioneered approaches that are now cornerstones of modern peacekeeping, from UN policing and human rights monitoring to electoral support and a robust public information campaign..UN Security Council condemns attacks on peacekeepers in Lebanon.Today, the United Nations Peacekeeping stands at a critical juncture. The global landscape is dangerous and complex. Crises erupt quickly and spread faster, magnified by international political polarization, transnational crime, terrorism, a rising sense of impunity, and the weakening of international law.The globally recognised UN Peacekeeping blue helmets enjoy broad international support. Now more than ever, peacekeepers remain on the front lines — holding ground, protecting civilians, and creating the space necessary for diplomacy to work. But faced with increasing instability and mounting financial pressure, peacekeeping’s effectiveness depends on investment in its future.Blue helmets on the front linesThe work of our UN peacekeepers — men and women serving far from their homes to help others live in peace — is demanding and complex, but it is also dangerous. Since January 2024, we have suffered 78 fatalities. Many more have been injured. Their sacrifice, and the service of more than 68,000 military, police, and civilian personnel deployed under the UN flag — including uniformed peacekeepers from 119 countries — represents a tangible commitment to peace and security..The grave crisis in Ukraine must end now.Across 11 missions, big and small, peacekeepers operate in some of the world’s most volatile contexts. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our peacekeeping mission MONUSCO is helping to shield civilians from violence while supporting dialogue and disarmament. In Lebanon, UNIFIL remains a stabilising presence along the Blue Line amid ongoing exchanges of fire. In South Sudan, UNMISS is working to prevent a relapse into civil war by enhancing security and promoting dialogue and negotiation at the local and national levels. In the Central African Republic, MINUSCA continues to protect the vulnerable all over the country and is supporting preparations for the country’s first local elections in decades. And in Cyprus, peacekeepers serving with UNFICYP continue to reduce tensions and maintain a buffer strip to promote security and build confidence between communities.Many of these missions face challenges that reflect deeper complexities, with confusing or impractical mandates, ambiguous political support at local and international levels, a lack of a clearly defined end-state, and a widening gap between expectations and resources.Investing in peacekeeping2025 is a pivotal year. As we mark the UN’s 80th anniversary, Germany — a stalwart peacekeeping partner of long standing — hosted a UN Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting in Berlin earlier this month. Ministers of defence and foreign affairs from around the world united in pledging their unequivocal and tangible support for and to our blue helmets. More than half of the 130 member state delegations present made concrete pledges to make missions stronger, safer, and more effective..World Press Freedom Day: In times of conflict, protecting journalists is protecting the truth.They discussed the future of peace missions and ways to reform the instrument to ensure our operations remain adaptable, innovative, cost-effective, and resilient. As it did in Namibia in the early 90s, UN Peacekeeping has always adapted to and achieved results in ever-changing contexts. Going forward, we will need to build on this momentum to ensure peacekeeping is streamlined, economical, and fit for purpose.And on this point, it is important to stress that peacekeeping is not only a lifesaving tool — it is a smart investment. It delivers value for money, reduces violence, and helps forge a durable peace. From Cambodia to Timor-Leste and El Salvador to Liberia, UN Peacekeeping has supported transitions from war to peace at a minuscule fraction of what military activities have cost worldwide. These achievements are not historical footnotes: they are the building blocks of regional stability.And UN Peacekeeping must and will continue to evolve. Missions may be deployed jointly with or in support of regional partners, such as the African Union. They may be smaller, more technologically leveraged, and more specialised. But their core purpose will remain to support political solutions, protect the vulnerable, and pave the way for a sustainable peace.If the past tells us anything, it is that peacekeeping can deliver when we invest in it and stay the course. Peacekeeping’s record is measured not only by what happens but by what doesn’t — violence that was averted, escalation that was prevented, space that was created for politics to work.We ignore this hard-won truth at our peril — UN mission closures in Mali, Sudan, and Haiti, and the rise of violence in all of these countries, are cases in point. To avoid this trap, we must maintain readiness and the capabilities to deploy rapidly, if and when asked.Thirty-five years ago, the world came together to launch UNTAG, a ground-breaking peace mission that helped Namibia chart its own course as an independent country. Today, that same spirit of unity, innovation, and determination is needed once again. If we fall short now, we risk undermining decades of progress and undermining the hopes of millions who depend on peacekeeping to help protect their future.- First published on DevexJean-Pierre Lacroix is the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations