The General Assembly on Monday approved a $5.38 billion budget for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ peacekeeping operations for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, down slightly from the previous year, as delegates wrapped up weeks of negotiations amid warnings about persistent funding challenges.
Acting on the??of its??(Administrative and Budgetary), the Assembly endorsed the budgets for 12 missions, the logistics centres in Entebbe and Brindisi, and the support account for peacekeeping.
The budgets were adopted without a vote, except for the resolution on the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Interim Force in Lebanon (), which was adopted by 147 votes in favour to 3 against (Argentina, Israel, and United States), with 1 abstention (Paraguay).
The adoption of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵIFIL¡¯s budget followed an Israeli-proposed oral amendment, which was rejected by 5 votes in favour (Argentina, Canada, Israel, Paraguay, and US) to 83 against, with 57 abstentions.
Last year, the peacekeeping budget stood at $5.59 billion for 14 operations, meaning the 2025-2026 figure reflects a modest decrease, following final settlements of former missions in C?te d¡¯Ivoire and Liberia.
Pressing liquidity challenges
Despite the agreement on the budgets, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Controller Chandramouli Ramanathan outlined a sobering picture about the fragility of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ¡¯s broader liquidity situation.
¡°You manage somehow to find common ground three times a year. But I only wish you had gone a little bit further to solve one of the underlying problems of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, which has been plaguing us for 80 years,¡± he told delegates last week as they concluded negotiations in the Fifth Committee.
He described how approved budgets are often undermined by cash shortages, forcing immediate instructions to slash spending by 10, 15, or even 20 per cent.
¡°No money, no implementation. There is not enough cash.?I cannot emphasize enough a massive effort needed on your side to somehow take us over that line and deal with a problem that's plagued the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ for the last so many years,¡± he said.
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ peacekeeping operations
?remains one of the most iconic Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ activities, with??deployed across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
Missions include long-standing deployments such as??in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,??in Cyprus, and??in the Central African Republic. Mandated by the?, these operations work to stabilize conflict zones, support political processes, protect civilians, and assist in disarmament and rule-of-law efforts.
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ¡¯s peacekeeping budget is separate from its regular budget, which supports the Organization¡¯s core programs, including human rights, development, political affairs, communications and regional cooperation.
The peacekeeping budget cycle runs from July-June, while the regular budget is aligned with the calendar year.
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