The world is currently experiencing the largest number of armed conflicts since 1946, with 65 ongoing in 35 countries, resulting in more battle-related deaths since 2021 than in the previous two decades. This surge in conflicts has put immense pressure on UN peacekeeping operations. The situation is further complicated by the emergence of new warfare tactics, including the use of drones, autonomous weapons systems, and AI-driven cyber tools, which have made protecting civilians and advancing political solutions more challenging.
The US Trump administration's stance on the UN has exacerbated the issue. Despite paying $827 million in mandatory UN dues, the US still owes approximately $4.2 billion, including $2.9 billion for peacekeeping. This financial strain has led to a liquidity crisis, forcing UN Secretary-General António Guterres to reduce the peacekeeping budget by about 15% and withdraw one-quarter of peacekeepers from the field. As of June, 44,208 uniformed UN peacekeepers were deployed globally, a decrease from 60,081 in June 2024.
The US has also advocated for shutting down peacekeeping missions worldwide as a cost-cutting measure. This has resulted in the conclusion of the UN mission in Yemen in March and the upcoming drawdown of the mission in Lebanon, set to begin in December. The Security Council is set to decide on extending the mission in the Central African Republic in November, with the US expressing reservations. However, the US has supported operations that serve its interests, such as a Gang Suppression Force in Haiti and an International Stabilization Force in Gaza.
Guterres's report highlights the UN's partnerships with African regional organizations, but the issue lacks political support. The report praises a December 2023 resolution to fund African Union-led peace operations with UN assessed contributions on a case-by-case basis. However, the US's actions, such as withdrawing support for the AU mission in Somalia, indicate that this resolution has become ineffective. The underlying issue lies in the makeup of the Security Council, with Guterres calling for a more representative Council that addresses the historical injustice against Africa.
The five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council often experience gridlock along geopolitical lines, hindering the implementation of Guterres's recommendations. The Security Council adopted 44 resolutions in 2025, the lowest total since 1991, and has agreed on just 17 so far this year. Given the lack of options, Guterres focuses on conflict prevention and peacemaking as a cost-effective way to ensure global stability. However, many warlords are not open to negotiations, and mediation efforts have failed to resolve several conflicts.
Guterres's report proposes building a global partnership for peacekeeping, ensuring more focused and flexible peacekeeping mandates, and maintaining strict impartiality. However, these proposals seem idealistic rather than practical, given the current reality of ongoing conflicts. The idea of exit strategies, in particular, appears aimed at appeasing the US but is highly impractical. Sustainable peace must reflect military realities on the ground and cannot be tied to arbitrary deadlines set for political convenience.
The UN's situation is precarious, caught between the Trump administration's assault on global peacekeeping and its own limitations. Guterres's proposals, including bureaucratic reforms and using UN regional offices more effectively, reflect the organization's efforts to find a solution. However, fulfilling the UN's primary mandate of saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war seems challenging. Professor Adekeye Adebajo, a senior research fellow at the University of Pretoria's Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, has highlighted the crisis facing UN peacekeeping.
Key points
- The world faces 65 ongoing armed conflicts in 35 countries, the largest number since 1946.
- The US Trump administration's financial strain on the UN has led to a reduction in peacekeeping budget and personnel.
- The UN's partnerships with African regional organizations lack political support, hindering effective peacekeeping operations.
