Remarks by the President of the United Nations General Assembly
H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock
Annual meeting of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping (C34)
18 February 2026
(Delivered by H.E. Ambassador Erastus Lokaale of Kenya, as Vice President of the United Nations General Assembly)
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The core purpose of our Charter, enshrined in its Preamble, is clear: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.
For seventy-eight of its eighty years, United Nations peacekeeping has been one of the principal means through which that purpose has been put into practice.
Since 1948, seventy-one peacekeeping operations have been deployed.
Eleven remain in effect today, with over sixty-six thousand uniformed and civilian personnel currently serving in the field.
These personnel operate in some of the most dangerous and politically volatile environments in the world¡.
And tragically, more than four thousand four hundred have paid the ultimate price.
We have a duty not only to honour those who have lost their lives,
but also, to support those who continue to serve today.
That support must be holistic.
The success of peacekeeping mandates depends on the collective commitment of Member States, host countries, and host communities, including both uniformed and civilian personnel.
Peacebuilders, local leaders, and civil society actors also play an indispensable role in anchoring peace efforts within the societies they are meant to serve.
In this context, the work of this Committee is increasingly urgent.
Conflicts today are longer, more complex, and less predictable.
Meanwhile, modern conflict environments are being reshaped by new technologies, from drones to digital surveillance.
Together, these shifts increase the dangers faced by civilians, humanitarian workers, and peacekeepers alike.
We need a peacekeeping architecture that can keep pace with evolving threats while remaining anchored in political realities on the ground.
Against this backdrop through Action 21 of the Pact for the Future, Member States requested the Secretary General to undertake a review of United Nations peace operations.
We look forward to the findings of this review, which can build on progress already made to improve the agility and effectiveness of the United Nations.
Initiatives such as Action for Peacekeeping and Action for Peacekeeping Plus have strengthened performance, enhanced safety, and improved the effectiveness of peace operations¡
¡both for those serving under the United Nations flag and for the communities they are mandated to protect.
Moreover, the Secretary General¡¯s New Agenda for Peace provides a strong foundation for rethinking how peace operations can adapt to rapidly changing conditions.
It invites us to consider how peacekeepers confront evolving threats on the ground.
How political actors navigate increasingly complex conflict dynamics.
And how the United Nations mandates can respond effectively to emerging challenges.
As Member States engage in the work of this session, and as the review process continues ahead of the Secretary General¡¯s report, I encourage reflection on several practical actions.
First, it is imperative that Member States pay assessed contributions in full and on time.
The ongoing liquidity crisis has already adversely affected peacekeeping, including with regard to contingency planning and operational resilience.
And while we pursue efficiencies through the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ80 reform process, as Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix stressed earlier this month in the Security Council, ¡°this efficiency drive cannot substitute for predictable and sustainable financing.¡±
Second, while advances in technology presents risks they also provide opportunities to strengthen prevention, enhance protection, and improve the effectiveness of peace operations.
As just one example, the Department of Peace Operations has worked closely with missions and Member States to advance peacekeeping intelligence.
With the issuance of guidelines on technical peacekeeping intelligence, the policy framework is now complete.
This has already delivered tangible results. In missions such as MINUSCA, improved intelligence, early warning, and rapid response capabilities are helping peacekeepers operate more effectively in volatile environments.
As the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ80 reform process continues beyond this session, we must consider how technology can be applied responsibly and strategically to improve the impact of United Nations peacekeeping, rather than responding to new threats only after they emerge.
And third, partnerships remain essential to achieving lasting peace.
This includes cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, as well as close coordination between host countries and United Nations country teams.
The Security Council¡¯s adoption of resolution 2719 on the financing of African Union led peace support operations is a tangible example of how partnerships can be strengthened to improve the effectiveness of peace operations.
While implementation of the resolution is ongoing, it demonstrates the potential of shared responsibility in advancing peace and security.
Partnerships must also be strengthened within the United Nations system itself.
Member States can make greater use of the Peacebuilding Commission¡¯s advisory role, in line with the 2025 Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture adopted last November, to ensure greater coherence across peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and prevention efforts.
As these efforts move forward, we must keep one principle firmly in view.
Prevention remains the bedrock of our collective approach.
Political solutions are the most effective means of preventing conflict; for peacekeeping was never intended to replace sustained political engagement.
Our responsibility is to ensure that peace operations support political processes and help create the conditions in which lasting peace can take root.
Thank you.