Remarks by the President of the UN General Assembly,
H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang,
 at the opening of the Informal Briefing on the Review on the future of all forms of United Nations peace operations 
in support of the recommendations of the Pact for the Future
3:00 p.m., 27 May 2025,
[As Delivered]
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I welcome Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Under-Secretary-General Lacroix to this Informal Briefing on the Review on the future of all forms of UN peace operations in support of the recommendations of the Pact for the Future.
For decades, United Nations peace operations – comprising peacekeeping operations and special political missions — have been crucial to the maintenance of international peace and security.
From the aftermath of the Second World War to the civil wars and humanitarian crises of the 21st century, peace initiatives, including the blue helmets of United Nations peacekeepers, have stood as symbols of hope for peace and stability.
At their best, they have shown that when Member States leverage multilateralism and work together to address conflicts, the burden on individual countries alone is diminished.
But as we all know, peace operations face serious and complex challenges that demand new approaches.
Your Excellencies,
Our peace operations are challenged on many fronts.
Peace operations are struggling.
As geopolitical rivalries intensify and new challenges emerge, there is a need for innovative and inclusive approaches to diplomacy, conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacekeeping in different parts of the world.
We see an increasing difference of views around the following questions:
-     How peace operations should be funded,
-     How they should work,
-     Under what circumstances,
-     With what mandates they should be deployed,
-     And for how long.
To fulfill our duty to protect the vulnerable and maintain international peace and security, a review of peacekeeping operations and special political missions is therefore inevitable.
This review must advance the Pact for the Future’s call to adapt peace operations to new realities and ensure they are fit for the future.
It must also draw a line on the discussions that took place at the successful United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Berlin.
We must deliver tailored responses that prevent the expansion and spillover of deadly conflicts and stop atrocities, reduce violence, promote dialogue, save lives and support peacebuilding efforts all over the world.
With genuine commitment, we must demonstrate political will.
We must honour our financial commitments.
And most importantly, we must look realistically at the current state of peace operations.
As we work towards a future where peace is not the exception but the rule, let us remember that peace operations are not simply about maintaining a fragile status quo.
Peacekeeping operations and special political missions are about building a more just, more secure, and more humane world for everyone, everywhere.
I thank you.

Media Contacts

 

Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org

Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org

 

More Information and Updates : Website:  YouTube:  X (Twitter): Instagram:  LinkedIn:  Photo Repository: Bluesky; Weekly Highlights

Resolutions of the 79th Session – UN General Assembly