“What was already a complex risk landscape has become significantly more volatile.”
Gilles Michaud, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, shared this assessment during a discussion with students and faculty at Georgetown University on 25 March 2026, focused on the evolving global security environment and the challenges facing the international system.
In a session moderated by Lise M. Howard, Professor and Chair of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service Faculty, USG Michaud reflected on changes in the United Nations operating environment since 2019. He noted the convergence of non-state armed groups, terrorist actors and, increasingly, state-based threats as key factors contributing to a more complex and unpredictable risk landscape.
“This requires us to continuously adapt how we manage risk, while ensuring we can still deliver on our mandates in the world’s most challenging environments,” he said.
Drawing on current contexts, he highlighted how these dynamics are unfolding across multiple regions, including Ukraine, Haiti, Sudan and the Central African Republic, as well as Gaza and the wider region, including Lebanon and Iran. Across these settings, the United Nations continues to navigate evolving risks while maintaining the safety and security of its personnel and enabling life-saving humanitarian operations.
A key theme of the discussion was the erosion of respect for international humanitarian law and the increasing threats faced by humanitarian and United Nations personnel.
“This is not only a legal concern—it is a direct operational risk,” USG Michaud said. “When respect for international humanitarian law erodes, our ability to reach people in need and deliver assistance safely is directly affected.”
He emphasized that reinforcing compliance requires sustained commitment from the international community, including stronger accountability, renewed emphasis on established norms and collective efforts to ensure that all parties to conflict uphold their obligations.
The discussion concluded with a broader reflection on the role of the United Nations in the current risk environment.
“In an era of increasingly complex and interconnected crises, enabling safe and effective operations is more critical than ever,” he said. “Upholding the laws of war is not only a matter of principle—it is essential to ensuring that humanitarian action can continue and that those on the front lines are protected.”