As ceasefires grow more fragile and conflicts more unpredictable, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ peacekeeping is having to adapt faster amid rising political tensions, disinformation, and confusion over mandates.
Addressing the?Security Council, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations?Jean-Pierre Lacroix?highlighted the need for change.
¡°Ceasefire monitoring can no longer be just about being present; it is about rapidly understanding and acting on what is happening on the ground,¡± he said.
Advances in technology, he explained, are helping "blue helmets"?increase their impact by allowing them to monitor vast and complex landscapes in near-real time, overcoming the need to be physically on the ground.
At the same time, a political process backed by the unified support of Member States, particularly the Security Council, remains vital to secure and sustain peace.
Ceasefires depend on combatants
¡°While peacekeeping can be an integral part of a ceasefire monitoring regime,?the success of any ceasefire remains the sole responsibility of the parties [to the agreement],¡± he said.
Lieutenant General Aroldo L¨¢zaro S¨¢enz, Head of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Interim Force in Lebanon (), also underscored the critical importance of the political process.
Established in 1978, the mandate of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵIFIL was most recently defined in??of 2006, which called for a full cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel following the 34-day war in Lebanon.
It reinforced Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵIFIL¡¯s mandate to monitor the ceasefire, support the Lebanese Armed Forces deployment in southern Lebanon, and facilitate humanitarian access.
However, the conflict between Israeli security forces and Hezbollah following the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel, complicated Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵIFIL¡¯s operating environment, until the cessation of hostilities agreed in November 2024.
¡°Since this cessation of hostilities and in the absence of a permanent ceasefire,?one of the main obstacles has always been that the parties interpret differently their obligations?under resolution 1701 and now with respect to the cessation of hostilities understanding,¡± Lt. Gen. L¨¢zaro said.
Combating disinformation
Another challenge is the rise of misinformation and disinformation, which undermines the credibility of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ peacekeepers and fuels local distrust. It compelled Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵIFIL to adapt its approach to safeguard credibility, project impartiality, and strengthen trust.
Effective outreach, fact-checking, and timely responses are critical to safeguarding the mission¡¯s impartiality, Lt. Gen. L¨¢zaro said, noting that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵIFIL has implemented a structured communication strategy to counter misinformation, ensuring that messages are fact-based, clear and consistent across all peacekeeping units.
¡°It is essential that government actors also make public statements to sensitize the population to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵIFIL¡¯s role and mandate, to avoid misperception,¡± he added.
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