(Continued) The future of Peace Operations - Security Council, 9991st meeting

The 9,991st meeting of the Security Council is resumed. I again wish to remind all speakers to limit their statement to no more than three minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. The flashing light on the microphone will prompt the speakers to bring their remarks to a close after three minutes. I now give the floor to the representative of Uruguay.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Uruguay's experience in the field, particularly in missions such as MONUSCO and UNDOF, allow us to contribute concrete reflections and proposals to strengthen the effectiveness, legitimacy and sustainability of peace operations in the 21st century on adapting to new conflict environments, To confront existing threats, missions require strong political support, appropriate mandates both in conception and execution, and the operational capacity to adapt to the evolving dynamics of security on the ground, prioritizing the needs of people affected by conflict and equipping our contingents with resources that they need. Efforts to improve institutional performance, seek greater efficiency and optimize resources must not mean that we weaken mandates. Developing countries have been contributing to this effort and they must be able to participate in the decision-making process. Constant investments are required in technologies and real-time data analysis capacity in order to improve situational awareness and security, as well as in mobility and advanced logistics. With respect to strengthening specialized and multifunctional capacities, as was discussed at the Preparatory Conference on Peace Missions in Montevideo in December 2024, continuous high-quality training is essential to improve the effectiveness of missions, as it allows the incorporation of lessons learned. And we include in that combat engineering and demining, advanced medical capabilities, and rapid reaction forces. On mandates and their design, what we need are clear and impartial mandates defined by objective criteria and not by geopolitical interests, with defined timeframes and measurable objectives. Flexibility in mandates is necessary to allow for timely adjustments and calibrated responses, reducing operational bureaucracy and allowing greater room for agile decision-making. We propose incorporating independent field evaluations and more direct consultations with the troop-contributing countries to each mission with regard to the design and renewal of each mission's mandate, taking advantage of their knowledge of the existing conditions and challenges. It is essential to establish feedback mechanisms to adjust mandates in line with the real dynamics of the conflict, ensuring that objectives are realistic and that peacekeepers have the tools that they need. It is crucial that mission closures occur in a structured and orderly manner, depending on the operational context and the strength of institutions in host countries, since hasty withdrawals can undo the achievements reached through years of work. In the case of UNIFIL, the closure must be gradual, coordinated, coordinated with the Lebanese army and accompanied by a technical transition mission in order to avoid a security vacuum. When it comes to UNDOF, we consider it essential to maintain the mission and modernize it, expanding its mandate to include preventive mediation and strengthening its operational flexibility in the face of cross-border incidents. On the human value of contingents, we believe the human component of peace operations should be reassessed. For TTCs, the economic equation has become increasingly demanding, and UN reimbursements do not always adequately compensate for the risks undertaken. It is fundamental to reinforce the protection of blue helmets who face growing risks due to the use of disruptive technologies. The spread of disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech undermine the legitimacy of missions, fuel violence, and weaken the fragile peace process. We encourage the Council to integrate proactive strategies to address these threats and include them in mission mandates, including strengthening strategic communication and engagement with local communities. Uruguay maintains that peace operations must recover their essence, namely acting with impartiality, protecting the most vulnerable, and serving as an instrument to prevent conflict. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Uruguay for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Spain.

Gracias, Senor Presidente.

Thank you, Mr. President. Spain aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the European Union, and we wish to make the following national considerations. We thank the Presidency of the Republic of Korea for organizing this open debate. It helps us to think on the future of peacekeeping operations and reaffirm our commitment to the UN so that it can achieve all of its goals. In a context of proliferating conflicts and challenges to the peace operations model, the Pact for the Future, the recent Berlin Ministerial Conference, and also the UN80 initiative provide us with key insights into what peace operations should look like in the years to come. They should be agile, with mandates adaptable to volatile environments, capable of integrating new technologies, able to incorporate the triple nexus of humanitarian action, development and peacebuilding, and marked by greater ownership by regional organizations. As a country committed to the maintenance of international peace and security and as a troop contributing country, Spain supports the ongoing review of the future of PKOs that is being carried out by the Secretariat. After submitting our observations to DPKO, we would like to share with the Council the following observations. The new agenda for peace of the Secretary General, with its emphasis on conflict prevention, set the path for the current review of the peace and security architecture. This is why it's necessary to deepen prevention strategies in the design of PKOs. The Women Peace and Security Agenda is essential. as a part of the prevention agenda. And numerous reports highlight the meaningful participation of women in peace processes from negotiation and mediation to peacekeeping and reconstruction lead to more sustainable and inclusive peace, and that peace agreements are more durable when women are involved. We need to ensure that the protection of civilians continues to be a constant component of peacekeeping mandates. We should also pay particular attention when required to the process of DDR. It's essential that peacekeeping missions have the support of the local population and the backing of the parties to the conflict. And it's also fundamental that there be a commitment of all parties to the safety of the troops so that they can carry out their tasks. The ownership of regional organizations in peace operations contributes to more agile responses. So, strengthen cooperation between the UN and the African Union is key for the future of PKOs. Resolution 2719 of the Security Council recognizes the leadership of the African Union and its decisive role in some of the world's most difficult stabilization challenges. This resolution sets the roadmap for future cooperation between the two organizations. Spain, in line with the EU position, defends the point of view that PKOs under this resolution should receive predictable, adequate, sustainable and inclusive financing and comply with the relevant United Nations provisions, including frameworks on international humanitarian law and human rights. The UN and the EU, for their part, coordinate closely on peace and security through strategic agreements, high-level meetings and cooperation on the ground. Mr. President, Spain defends the fundamental role of the United Nations in the maintenance of peace and security. The UN Security Council and the UN Secretariat, with the support of Member States, must work together to ensure that mission mandates and activities are driven by clear political strategies that address politics at the local, national, regional and international levels. President, Spain recognizes the Council's efforts in reaching consensus on mission mandates. We value the recent unanimous renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, which demonstrates the Council's commitment to maintaining peace and reiterates an important message of support for the missions, which is essential for their success. Finally, Spain underscores its full commitment to PKOs and is proud of its contribution to peace operations, reflecting the priority that we attach to conflict prevention and resolution. Specifically, through UNIFIL, the mission with the largest Spanish contingent, 689 men and women, Spain contributes to a very complex environment to reducing tensions on both sides of the blue line, especially since the start of the war in Gaza. But PKOs cannot substitute for the lack of the will of parties to implement political agreements. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Spain for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Italy.

President, dear colleagues, Italy aligns itself to the statement to be delivered by the.

European Union and would like to add the following remarks in its national capacity.

Since Italy joined the United Nations, it has proudly dedicated to peace operations its best energies and assets, top-level peacekeepers.

And state-of-the-art technologies, becoming the largest contributor of troops among Western countries to UN peacekeeping.

Today, we are called to adapt peace operations to new security threats and a different geopolitical context.

But the success of over 75 years of operations must give us the courage.

To look to the future with confidence. So the question should be not if, but how UN peace operations will continue to play a decisive role. Our work should focus on two major dimensions.

The first is the political dimension of peacekeeping, as a peacekeeping operation is effective and sustainable as long as it's.

Supported by a shared political will, starting within the Security Council. Such political will should be forged at the very outset of peacekeeping operations, also by involving the relevant regional organizations in the decision-making process, and should then remain steady and consistent during implementation.

In this regard, Italy acknowledges Africa's significant and increasing contributions to international peace and security.

The continent has demonstrated admirable courage and leadership in addressing global challenges.

We therefore welcome the landmark 2719th resolution on EU-led peace support operations, which we believe can cement a vision for African security that places African leadership at the front and African people at the center.

The second dimension concerns the operational effectiveness of peace operations.

Resources and objectives must be up to task in the face of the new security challenges in highly complex scenarios.

Adequate consideration needs to be given to modern.

Threats to the conduct of peacekeeping operations and the security of peacekeepers, with particular reference to hybrid threats, emerging and disruptive technologies, and potentially artificial intelligence, making more and more essential the implementation of intelligence and analysis capacities at both.

Strategic and technical levels.

We commend the Secretariat for the effective efforts it has undertaken to this end. At the same time, we believe it's important to continue working on several dimensions, including revision of contingent organization.

In response to modern threats, adjustment of operations to new scenarios, also to avoid space for non-state actors, enhancement of defense capacity building activities.

In stabilization processes based on a common quality standards, adaptation of training processes, standardized and integrated training among military, police, and civilian components of peacekeeping missions.

Similarly, integrated planning among these components is paramount.

Operational documents should be truly analyzed to find every feasible action that can contribute to the best implementation of a mandate, involving as much as possible the TCCs in the planning.

Phases.

Clear rules of engagements and technical tactical procedures are key tools to enhance the effective application of a mandate.

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues.

Focused mandates accompanied by adequate military and police contingents may help to match goals and expectations with the resources that are actually available, also facilitating synergies with host countries. But this should not be at the cost of key goals like the protection of civilians, human rights, or the women, peace, and security agenda. We should adapt without lowering our level of ambition, nor hesitate or give up on the prospect of launching new peace operations whenever they are necessary. With the right adjustment and effective integration with peacebuilding activities, peace operations can continue.

To be a key engine of peace and stability, as it has been since the birth of the United Nations, ensuring a solid and resilient peace continuum. And Italy, of course, will continue to be its resolute supporter. I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of Italy for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Tunisia.

Thank you, Mr. President. I wish first and foremost to congratulate you and the Republic of Korea upon your accession to the presidency of the Security Council during this month. And I wish to thank you for having chosen the topic for today's meeting. Conflict, war, and security, which was prevalent in many regions throughout the world, demonstrate the importance of the paramount role of PKOs when it comes to helping host countries restore stability, protect civilians amid conflict. For 80 years, these operations have helped to advance peace and restore stability in many regions. However, it remains true that many regions, specifically in Africa, are seeing growing conflict and accumulative factors of precariousness and vulnerability, and these have spawned complex and multidimensional challenges and threats. Therefore, these countries are experiencing humanitarian emergency situations. We pay tribute to the commendable efforts of the United Nations in this regard. We reaffirm the need for these operations to be carried out in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter, fully in alignment with the key principles of peacekeeping. We wish to reaffirm the following priorities: There is a need to establish that peacekeeping operations that these operations need to be conducted in accordance with the and for them to have clear objectives and mandates, for there to be tripartite cooperation between the Security Council, the Secretariat, and troop-contributing countries, in addition to the need to provide the necessary means and resources for mandates. and goals to be achieved. Second, there's a need for capacity building with the United Nations to ensure the protection of mission personnel in the light of the threat and challenges. Three, there is also a need to ensure the participation of women in peacekeeping operations, in peacebuilding, as well as efforts towards conflict settlement in order to build the capability and responses on the ground. there is also a need to respect human rights within the context of PKOs, as well as to ensure that PKOs are conducted and scrupulously in alignment with this approach. There's a need for the partnership between the UN and regional organizations, specifically the African Union. Mr. President, Tunisia takes great pride in our meaningful contribution to PKO since our accession to independence, and we believe that the effectiveness and efficiency of these operations requires that countries receive assistance when it comes to domestic stabilization and as they gradually advance from precariousness towards recovery. There is also a need to see to it that there is safety and security provided for the personnel of peacekeeping operations. And we applaud the role of Egypt and Slovenia at the helm of the peacekeeping review, architecture review. We call for the pooling of efforts. And to conclude, Tunisia wishes to reiterate our outstanding commitment to contributing to safeguard of international peace and security and the embodiment of the principles of the Charter by upholding the noble universal values of cooperation, solidarity, justice, tolerance, and humanitarian law by endeavoring to uphold multilateralism, to tackle emerging and present challenges, to settle conflict through peaceful means. Thank you.

The representative of Tunisia for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Brazil.

Mr. President, I thank the Republic of Korea for organizing this open debate and the briefers for sharing their perspectives. Brazil welcomes the fact that peace operations have been widely discussed in the Council this year. Peacekeeping and special political missions are core UN.

Tools for maintaining international peace and security, and they should constantly be valued, improved, and adapted to new challenges.

Action 21st of the Pact for the Future.

And the ongoing comprehensive review of peace operations have given member states another chance to consider this issue.

We hope that the ongoing review translates into political will and action, particularly from this Council.

Mr. President, we all agree that peace operations are facing a moment of crisis and must adapt to an increasingly complex and fragmented reality. However, it is essential that responses to these pressures do not overlook key elements of legitimacy, such as the central.

Role of the UN and the necessity of multilaterally agreed mandates.

Nor should they compromise the pillars of the international system, with the defense of human rights at its center. Weakening those foundations risks causing greater harm than benefit.

Both to the UN and to international peace and security. At the same time, some core elements must remain at the heart of future peace missions.

Brazil firmly believes that the success of peace operations depends first and foremost on the primacy of politics.

Military or technical measures cannot be an end in themselves.

They must remain anchored in clear political strategies that foster dialogue and address root causes of conflict. Equally important is the provision of strengthened operational support.

Peace operations must be adequately equipped and resourced to implement their mandates effectively and safely. Predictable, adequate, and sustaining funding Efficient logistics and management and modern capabilities are essential to ensure that missions.

Can respond to evolving challenges on the ground.

Likewise, the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation of.

Women and youth and the participation of local communities must remain at the core of peace operations. These are not optional add-ons; they are integral.

To building legitimacy, trust, and long-lasting peace.

Finally, peace operations should be fully connected to peacebuilding efforts.

The concurrence of peacekeeping and peacebuilding requires continuity of support, stronger partnerships with host countries, and investment in national institutions.

The Peacebuilding Commission can play a key role in this regard. Only by linking political engagement, security.

And development can we ensure that countries and regions emerging from conflict do not relapse into violence. Mr. President, Brazil reaffirms its commitment to strengthening UN peace operations so that they remain a vital.

Tool for international peace and security.

We hope that the ongoing review exercise result in concrete gains to peace operations leveraging these missions' goals.

Thank you. I thank the representative of Brazil for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Kyrgyzstan.

Mr. President, Excellencies, my delegation conveys.

Its sincere appreciation to the Republic of Korea for convening this important deliberations on the future of UN peace operations.

I also thank Denmark and Pakistan for co-hosting and distinguished briefers for their insights. We welcome the initiative to undertake the comprehensive review of all.

Forms of peace operations as reflected in the Pact for the Future.

Kyrgyzstan has longstanding tradition of contributing to international peace and security. As one of the first countries in the region to deploy peacekeepers to the UN nation missions.

Back in the 1990s, we remain today at the forefront of the regional contributions to police peacekeeping.

Our contingents serve various missions with the professionalism, discipline, and dedication to the highest standards of conduct. We take particular pride in the service of Kyrgyz women peacekeepers.

Those role is vital in helping transition from conflict to sustainable peace.

We reiterate our full support for Security Council resolution on women, peace, and security.

Moving from commitment to action, my country is ready to provide second-level field hospital in support of UN peacekeeping operations.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me also to highlight the historical achievement of preventive diplomacy and peaceful settlement of disputes. In March of this year, following decades of dialogue, the leaders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed a historical treaty, hereby bringing a definitive resolution to all outstanding territorial issues. This means that Central Asia is now entirely free of territorial disputes. This achievement demonstrates the transformative power of diplomacy, political will, and mutual respect. Yet it reaffirms that even the most protracted and complex disputes can be resolved peacefully through dialogue and compromise, principles which lies at the heart of effective peacekeeping. In the context of ongoing review on the future of peace operations, Kyrgyzstan wishes to propose the following guiding considerations. First, peace operations must become more flexible and modular, able to adapt rapidly to evolving conflict dynamics. New deployment models are needed, combining preventive and responsive elements with greater emphasis on early warning and conflict prevention. Second, peace operations can only succeed when underpinned by the clear political strategy and by genuine efforts to achieve political solutions. This requires close cooperation between the Security Council, troop and police contributing countries, and host states. Third, enhanced cooperation with regional organization is vital, particularly with the African Union.

Regional actors, with their knowledge of local contexts, are uniquely positioned to provide sustainable solutions. We therefore support the use of UN assessed contribution to finance African Union-led peace support operations.

Fourth, core mandates must remain at the center of our efforts. Even we seek greater efficiency, mandates relating to the protection of civilians, human rights, and WPS agenda are imperative. These are not only aligned to the UN Charter, but are essential for building sustainable peace. We commend the Secretary-General's efforts under the UN80 initiative to strengthen the organization's efficiency. At the same time, we stress that reform should reinforce, rather than diminish, the capacity of the UN peacekeeping. It is essential to preserve core field and the secretarial capacities to ensure preparedness in responding to diverse peace and security challenges. Distinguished members of the Council, having become independent relatively recently, we have consistently demonstrated our commitment to collective action in support of international peace and security. The deployment of Kyrgyz peacekeepers reflects not only a contribution to global stability, but also our profound adherence to universal values. Our experience illustrates that it is not a size of states, but the depth of its commitment to peace, solidarity, and responsibility that defines its contribution to the common cause.

And I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of Kyrgyzstan for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Morocco.

Mr. President, I wish to take this opportunity at the outset to convey to you my country's warm congratulations upon your accession of the presidency of the Security Council. And I wish to thank you for having convened this timely debate on the future of peace operations at a time when we are progressing towards the implementation of the Pact for the Future and the UN80 initiative. Morocco is deeply convinced that the review of all peace operations is a necessary exercise to tailor our multilateral actions, our shared actions, to the advancement of peace in light of challenges and in the present-day context, while at the same time taking into account the realities that have been imposed by geopolitical developments on the ground. We, as we look towards the future, there's a critical need for us to have a clear sighted and realistic assessment of the assets and shortcomings of peace operations. Those factors which contribute to the success and the reasons for certain failures need to be subject to in-depth analysis, and they should serve as an example to shape effective and efficient peace operations. I wish, therefore, to thank Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Madame Rosemary DiCarlo. Thank you for the efforts that your respective departments have been undertaking. And in that vein, and for their edifying briefings about this, as well as Thomasine and Madame Jenna Russo for their exhaustive briefings, the Kingdom of Morocco reiterates our firm commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes. including through conflict prevention, mediation, and negotiation. These efforts need to remain at the heart of international operations to uphold, maintain, and build international peace and security. In this regard, we reaffirm our unstinting support for the United Nations Secretary-General's efforts to advance political solutions to conflict, specifically through peacekeeping operations. This approach, which recognizes that lasting stability can only be achieved through political inclusive responses that reflect real realities, not only enhances the legitimacy of peace processes, but this also helps to advance national ownership of solutions, which is a prerequisite for the establishment of a robust and lasting peace. We also believe that there is an important overriding need to adopt a comprehensive, integrated vision of peace and security, which takes into account the growing complexity of present-day threats. Mr. President, political solutions are critical for lasting conflict resolution, and yet they should also be part of an environment, be taken into account in an environment that goes where there are borders that where coordinated responses need to be taken to counter various levels. Multifaceted threats to peace and security does not spare, has not spared any space, be it land, sea, or the digital space, imperiling civilians by taking hostages the socio-economic capabilities of the countries affected, as well as that of those regions. In light of these developments, as well as in light of the growing complexity of the landscape within which peace operations operate, an observation is clear: the future of this critical tool of our Organization will be determined by the ability to adapt, to become more flexible, to become more effective and efficient, while at the same time remaining firmly anchored in the core values of the UN Charter and the principles of non-interference and national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity. To that end, and in order to enhance the relevance, impact, and legitimacy of peace operations in light of present and future challenges, the Kingdom of Morocco wishes to set out the following recommendations. Number one, to facilitate a more modular and adaptable mandates, peacekeeping operation mandates should evolve based on realities on the ground, A modular approach will help to ensure the rapid deployment of the necessary capabilities in light of varied crises which are constantly in flux and changing. And in line with the UN 80 Initiative, this initiative calls for a more centered approach, an approach more centered on the needs on the ground, recommending that the mandates of peacekeeping operations be drafted in an inclusive, participatory manner with host states by incorporating their national priorities, their institutional realities, and their specific needs. This will enhance the legitimacy of peace operations, will guarantee their alignment with national priorities related to peace and development, as well as to ensure better ownership. Second, to maintain and enhance political anchoring. These operations need to be systematically guided by a clear, integrated, inclusive political strategy that is reflective of local dynamics. This means, of course, that there needs to be a more robust commitment in support of national political processes. Third, to better preempt and anticipate emerging threats in light of the growing spectrum of threats to peace and security, peacekeeping operations need to incorporate these dimensions in planning, specifically through technical expertise and real-time data analysis. forth to incorporate and modernize technological capabilities in a responsible way that is respectful of local context. The use of technology can help to enhance effectiveness and efficiency operations without undermining sovereignty, provided that this be done in a transparent way with the national authorities. The goal is to provide early warning tools, on-the-ground monitoring, and logistical planning tools that perform better. Five, to enhance the exchange of best practices. We recommend that there be more best practices exchange for lessons to be drawn among the various peacekeeping operations to be shared, and this will help missions to share their concrete experience on the ground, innovations and conflict resolution tools. It would also be timely to establish a voluntary exchange framework between contributing states, host states, and partner organizations in order to share lessons gained, as well as local innovations and effective practices. This horizontal, non-binding, of course, practice will help to enhance the overall performance of peacekeeping missions. Six, to promote durability, sustainability, and inclusivity. These operations should contribute to establishing a framework for lasting peace, which should be buttressed by peacekeeping, peacebuilding efforts without prejudice to the resources allocated to each. Peacebuilding has demonstrated that each dollar invested is translated into peace dividends and directly benefits people. As Vice Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission and as Chair of the Central African Republic Configuration of the PBC, the Kingdom of Morocco will continue to advocate the granting of political and financial support that is both enhanced and appropriate for peacebuilding. We eagerly await the outcomes of the PIPA 2025 evaluation. Lastly, these recommendations, set together with combined with political and human approaches, are geared towards modernizing peace operations in a pragmatic, effective way that is respectful of local context, a priority to which Morocco remains fully committed. To conclude, we wish to reaffirm the importance of the contribution and the political commitment of member states in all discussions which are geared for this peace establishment of more effective peacekeeping to make this not an obstacle, but as a structural principle within the United Nations. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Morocco for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Portugal.

Mr. President. Portugal thanks the Republic of Korea for convening this important debate in collaboration with Denmark and Pakistan. We also commend the briefers for their insights. For eight decades, United Nations peace operations have stood as one of the most visible expressions of multilateralism in action, and they are part of this Council's core business. They have saved lives, prevented conflict escalation, and supported fragile political processes. Yet, as conflicts grow more complex, transnational, and protracted, we must ensure that peace operations remain both effective and credible. Portugal would like to highlight three priorities. First, sustainability. Political support, regional engagement, and strong regional partnerships, namely with African Union, are crucial for a successful outcome. We must also endeavor to shield operations from liquidity crises that undermine mandate delivery guided by the principles of action for peacekeeping. And we should never disregard that without adequate funding, all remaining work and efforts may end up being in vain. Second, prevention. Peace operations should increasingly contribute to the pacific settlement of disputes through mediation, preventive diplomacy, and the Secretary-General's good offices. Investments in peacebuilding, including through the Peacebuilding Fund, to which Portugal remains a proud contributor, are indispensable to consolidating peace and avoiding relapse into conflict. Third, adaptability. Missions must be tailored to realities on the ground, with mandates that are achievable and politically grounded. Artificial intelligence should be part of this adaptive reality. Agility, however, must not come at the expense of core capacities, notably the protection of civilians, human rights, monitoring, environmental and climate awareness, and effective participation of human and use. The ongoing review provides an opportunity to modernize UN peace operations, making them more agile, prevention-focused, and politically grounded. But success will also depend on overcoming financial constraints and geopolitical tensions and the need to safeguard core mandates. Looking ahead to PBAR and to the UN80 initiative, Portugal believes that this is a moment to reaffirm our collective commitment. UN peace operations are critical and the support from member states is essential. Peace operations are not a substitute for political solutions, but they are vital instruments to create the space in which such solutions can emerge. Mr. President, Portugal, as a country that contributed with more than 20,000 personnel to UN peace operations over the past 65 years, will continue to support efforts to make those operations more coherent and more impactful, in line with the spirit of the Charter and the needs of those we are here to serve. As a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2027-2028, Portugal will continue to advocate for an integrated approach centred on three Ps: prevention, partnership and protection. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Portugal for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Germany.

Mr. President, I would like to thank the Republic of Korea for dedicating this open debate to the ongoing Peace Operations Review. We are also grateful to the Council Trio, the Republic of Korea, Denmark and Pakistan, for keeping UN peacekeeping reform high on the Council's agenda. UN peace operations have been a success story, and it is evident that they will remain an essential tool of the UN's peace and security architecture. Our challenge now lies in determining how to effectively adapt peace operations to the needs on the ground. Mr. President, I would like to emphasize three core points today. First, UN peace operations need clear, achievable, and tailored mandates, supported through adequate resources, equipment, training, and capacity building. Peace operations, in all their variations, will continue to operate in environments in which civilians face threat or harm, regardless of specific protection mandates. It is therefore imperative to integrate considerations on protection into the future planning of UN peace operations. The increasing reliance on political missions and discussions on lighter footprints should not lead to an erosion of critical capacities on the ground. Second, we must increase investments in transition capacities and planning. The ability to build sustainable peace after a mission's completion requires robust, long-term transition strategies that address stability, governance, and development. Transition strategies must be in place from the very setup of a mission and must span from clear vision and political support in the Security Council to the employment of the know-how of integrated offices, specialized agencies, and country teams. close cooperation on strengthening host state capacities, in particular, is key to success. Third, political strategies, such as preventive diplomacy, mediation, and peacebuilding, must be adequately resourced and prioritized. These tools remain underutilized. We must harness their full potential to address the root causes of conflict and prevent its recurrence. In this regard, peace operations' integrated planning, strategic foresight, and flexibility in the use of resources must be strengthened. Mr. President, the commitments made at the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin were a strong demonstration of the collective dedication of Member States to maintaining and strengthening UN peacekeeping. It is now our shared responsibility to build on this and move the discussion on the future of UN peace operations forward and to achieve concrete results. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Germany for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Japan.

Thank you, Mr. President, for convening this critically important open debate. Taking this opportunity, We wish the Presidency of the Republic of Korea every success in the very busy month of September. I also thank the briefers for their insightful remarks. UN peace operations face unprecedented challenges, continuing and intensifying geopolitical conflicts, and increasing threats from new technologies, coupled with tightening budget constraints. The review of the future of UN peace operations, together with the UN80 Initiative and Peacebuilding Architecture Review, is a great opportunity for us to seriously consider how we can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of peace operations. In this regard, I'd like to highlight three points. First, peace operations can prove most effective when there is a clear political strategy as well as prioritized mandates that are tailored to local realities, adopted and supported by the Security Council and relevant member states, including host states. In this regard, strengthening partnerships with regional and subregional organizations is important. Utilizing the knowledge of experts familiar with regional contexts can lead to more effective operations. It is also important to accurately and adequately measure and assess the impact of peace operations on the ground. Japan continues to support the A4P monitoring project, including the conduct of local protection surveys to evaluate the effectiveness and credibility of each mission. Secondly, the safety and security of UN personnel should remain a priority for effectively implementing mandates. Enhanced capacities against the growing threats of IEDs, drones, AI, misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech are vital in this regard. Japan has been working to develop such capabilities of peacekeepers, including by providing training in counter-IED, peacekeeping intelligence, and situational awareness through the UN Triangular Partnership Program. Developing the digital infrastructure for telemedicine is along such efforts to ensure the safety of personnel. Strengthening accountability for crimes against peacekeepers is also important. Lastly, we firmly believe the peace operations must serve the ultimate objective of sustaining peace. From this perspective, Japan as a vice chair of the Peacebuilding Commission this year has been advocating for greater coordination between the PBC and other organs, both within and outside the UN, to advance a comprehensive approach to peace. From the perspective of human security, it is important to ensure the HDP nexus by leveraging the expertise of the UN system, in particular the resident coordinators, as well as civil society and international financial institutions. Equally important in peace-building and prevention efforts is inclusive participation of local communities, including women and youth. In conclusion, we believe the UN peace operations will remain an indispensable and irreplaceable tool for the peaceful settlement of disputes and the maintenance of international peace and security. Under the current financial constraints, It is imperative we focus on discussing priorities and objectives, as I have outlined today. As a member of the international community, Japan is determined to embrace the challenges of our moment to build a safer and more peaceful future. I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of Japan for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Lebanon.

Mr. President. At the outset, allow me to extend my congratulations to the Republic of Korea on assuming the presidency of the Council this month and for convening this important debate on the future of peacekeeping. I also wish to commend your country's longstanding and distinguished contributions to peacekeeping missions worldwide, including its participation in UNIFIL with 280 peacekeepers. Lebanon deeply values and highly appreciates this commitment in support of peace and stability in our region. I thank the esteemed briefers as well. Mr. President, for my country, Lebanon, this discussion holds particular significance, especially in light of the latest UNIFIL mandate renewal, where the Council decided to renew for a final time the mandate until 31st of December 2026, and to start an orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal from that date and within one year, in close consultation with the government of Lebanon. As the host country of UNIFIL since 1978, Lebanon has consistently viewed its presence as a cornerstone of stability in southern Lebanon and a vital factor in supporting calm along the Blue Line. The continued deployment of UNIFIL in the South is therefore an indispensable step, complementing the tremendous efforts of the Lebanese State to assert its sovereignty and authority and to ensure the exclusive monopoly of arms throughout the Lebanese territory. To that end, the Lebanese Army presented to the Council of Ministers its plan for state monopoly of arms last Friday. Mr. President, Lebanon reiterates its commitment to the full implementation of 1701, as well as the Cessation of Hostilities Arrangement. It stresses on the importance of the continuous coordination between the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL. It also reaffirms its respect to the SOFA agreement and its steadfast commitment to the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel. In this regard, Lebanon condemns the latest Israeli attack on UNIFIL on the 3rd of September, which was the most serious attack on the mission since last November, and which occurred less than a week after this very Council decided to extend UNIFIL's mandate and urged the party in Resolution 2790 to respect the safety and security of peacekeepers. Mr. President, As we look to the future, Lebanon wishes to underline the following key points. One, with the drawdown and withdrawal of UNIFIL scheduled to begin in December 2026, we emphasize the vital importance of avoiding any security vacuum that could reverse the hard-earned gains. In this regard, urgent, tangible, and substantial support to the Lebanese armed forces is essential to enable them to carry out their duties and responsibilities. Two, we stress on the importance of implementing Resolution 1701 in its entirety by Israel, which must immediately withdraw from all occupied Lebanese territories and put an end to its persistent violations of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity. Three, We look forward to the proposals that will be presented by the Secretary-General on the future implementation of Resolution 1701 after the withdrawal of UNIFIL, including options for assistance and ways to enhance the support to the LAF redeployment in south of Litani River through United Nations tool. Mr. President, Lebanon has had a unique and enduring experience with UN peacekeeping operations. For over than four decades, we have hosted one of the UN's longest standing missions. The mission's presence has not only served as a stabilizing factor, but also as a symbol of the international community's commitment to Lebanon's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. While challenges have persisted, the partnership between Lebanon and the Blue Helmets has demonstrated the value of multilateral engagement the indispensable role of the United Nations and the relevance of UN peacekeeping missions. In closing, I wish to reaffirm Lebanon's deep appreciation to all troop contributing countries for their sacrifices in the service of peace. Allow me as well to pay tribute to the women and men who serve under the UN flag, often in the most difficult conditions. and to honour the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of peace. I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of Lebanon for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of India.

Thank you, Mr. President. At the outset, I congratulate the Republic of Korea on assuming the presidency of the Security Council. India's participation in UN peace operations is a reflection of our commitment to the principles of the UN Charter. Since the 1950s, India has contributed nearly 300,000 peacekeepers, 182 of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice while upholding the UN flag in conflict zones. Peacekeeping today, Mr. President, is confronted with multiple challenges, with political, operational, and technological complexities. The future of peacekeeping must revert to the core principles of UN peacekeeping. In this context, I would like to emphasize the following. First, peace operations are likely to succeed when they are accompanied by a broader political process with a clearly envisioned political outcome. Second, UN peacekeeping must return to its plain vanilla mandates. Formulation of realistic, clear, and focused mandates is essential so that they acknowledge the constraints under which peacekeeping missions operate. Third, there is growing uncertainty on funding of UN peace operations. The scope of mandates should match the resources available to peacekeepers. It is time that UN peacekeeping missions with outdated and obsolete mandates are withdrawn and liquidated. Fourth, troop and police contributing countries must be involved in all stages of mandate formulation and implementation. Fifth, technology can be a force multiplier in achieving the mandates of peacekeepers. India stands ready to be a provider of technology and specialized capabilities to peacekeeping operations. Sixth, the future of peacekeeping operations must acknowledge the crucial role of women peacekeepers in conflict resolution. Keeping in mind women, peace, and security, India deployed UN's first all-women formed police unit in Liberia in 2007. In February this year, India hosted the Conference on Women Peacekeepers from the Global South, bringing together participants from 35 countries. India has been regularly conducting training courses for women peacekeepers, with the most recent one concluding in August this year, witnessing participation of women peacekeepers from 15 major troop and police contributing countries. Seventh, under India's presidency of the UN Security Council in August 2021, Council resolution 2589 on protecting the protectors was adopted, whose implementation needs to be ensured. The construction of the memorial wall to honour the fallen blue helmets must also be expedited. Eighth, the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping is tied to the structure and legitimacy of the UN Security Council, which must be reformed to ensure expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories to reflect the contemporary realities. In conclusion, the future of peacekeeping needs to address emerging challenges. However, the process must be member state driven, based on consensus after wide-ranging consultations with all stakeholders, particularly the troop and police contributing countries. For India, participation in UN peacekeeping is a reflection of our human and technological capabilities and to shoulder a greater role in contributing to global peace. As a responsible member state, we will continue to engage constructively in the future of peacekeeping for a more balanced, inclusive and effective approach to UN peacekeeping. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of India for the statement. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Stravos Lambrinidis, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states. The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia, as well as Armenia, align themselves with this statement. Mr. President, at the outset, let me thank the Republic of Korea for organizing this important debate, as well, of course, as our briefers for their remarks. UN peacekeeping operations remain one of the most important multilateral instruments for responding to a broadening range of threats. In times of multiplying crises, they are also confronted with increasingly complex challenges, including declining trust and lack of political support. But they remain among the most impactful multilateral instruments for sustaining peace and security by protecting civilians, preventing escalation of violence, or ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches the most vulnerable. Now, during the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin earlier this year, the vast majority of UN member states renewed their commitments to this tool, underscoring the broad support that UN peace operations enjoy. They also rely on this Council's backing, and its role is more crucial than ever. UN peace operations are an integral part of the global peace and security architecture, And the review should be coherent and consistent with other ongoing review and reform processes, including, of course, the UN Aid Initiative. At the same time, peace operations must be able to continue delivering on their mandates in the context of ongoing reforms. We now have a unique opportunity to shape the UN peace architecture, adapting it to rapidly changing realities and increasing its effectiveness. Five brief points on this. First, UN peace operations should be anchored in viable political strategies. You've heard this from many in this room already. The mandates must be realistic, driven by strategic vision, and matched with adequate and sustainable financing. Early engagement and the definition of clear exit strategies are vital to ensure that peace operations are both effective and temporally bound. Second. The review should recommend a standardized integrated planning process, both on strategic and operational levels, applicable to all peace operations, as well as a holistic approach to bridge the divide between peacekeeping operations and special political missions. This is necessary to harness the full breadth of UN capabilities for peace and security. Third, the role of host countries, regional partnerships, and local stakeholders cannot be overstated. It is through their engagement that we can enhance the sustainability and impact of peace operations on the ground. The triangular cooperation between the African Union, the European Union, and the United Nations, and the recently renewed EU-UN Strategic Partnership on Peace and Security exemplify the strength of such collaboration. Fourth, strict adherence to the UN Charter and compliance with UN standards, including rule of law and human rights principles, crucial for the credibility and legitimacy of peace operations. The EU also fully supports strengthening the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, ensuring involvement and leadership of women across all stages of peace processes. Integrating the children, youth, and climate agendas into peace and security efforts is equally important. Finally, we must also act to ensure the safety of those who risk their lives. The security of peacekeepers must remain a top priority, supported both politically and with necessary resources, including ensuring accountability for crimes against them. The European Union's commitment, Mr. President, to these principles is unwavering, as is our contribution. We jointly contributed almost one quarter of the UN's peacekeeping budget last year. And we currently deploy almost 4,000 military, police and civilian personnel to UN peace operations, while one EU member state is hosting a peacekeeping operation. The EU is also a security provider, with 21 ongoing civilian and military missions and operations around the world, working hand in hand with the UN on the ground. Mr. President, Let me assure you that support to UN peace operations will remain a central pillar of the EU-UN cooperation. And thank you once again for taking the initiative to convene today's debate. And we look forward to the outcome of this review process. Thank you.

I thank His Excellency, Mr. Lembredinis, for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Ethiopia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Allow me to begin by congratulating you on assuming the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of September. I also wish to express my sincere appreciation for convening this high-level open debate. Mr. President, we recognize that peace operations on their own cannot deliver sustainable peace in the absence of viable political solutions. Nevertheless, Since the establishment of the United Nations, peace operations have stood as one of the operations, one of the organization's most notable success stories in advancing international peace and security. Accordingly, expectations for the high standards of performance, impartiality, and accountability in peace operations continue to rise. In this context, we pay tribute to the men and women in uniform who served under the United Nations flag, often in extremely difficult and dangerous environments. They embody the value of the UN Charter, yet their mandates are frequently overstretched and their resources limited. It is therefore imperative that peacekeepers are equipped with the necessary political support and operational capacity to protect the most vulnerable while upholding the high standards of conduct and discipline. As a longstanding and proud troop-contributing country, Ethiopia welcomes the ongoing review of the future of United Nations peace operations in their forms. We trust that this process will provide a valuable opportunity to draw lessons, reaffirm our collective commitment to peace and security, and adapt to evolving global challenges. We therefore encourage the review to prioritize the modernization of peace operations, safety and security of peacekeepers, mission effectiveness, and the active engagement of local communities as vital stakeholders in peacebuilding. We also underline the importance of predictable and sustainable financing for regional and subregional initiatives, including those of the African Union, and stress the value of collective action through joint planning, training, and burden sharing. Mr. President, The future of United Nations peace operations rests on our ability to adapt them to contemporary realities while safeguarding their founding principles. Ethiopia remains proud of its contributions to UN peace operations and calls for stronger political support, deeper partnerships with regional organizations, sustainable financing mechanisms, and renewed collective commitment. Finally, I wish to reaffirm Ethiopia's unwavering dedication to working closely with the Member States, the UN and regional partners to ensure that peace operations remain a cornerstone of international peace and security. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Ethiopia for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Ireland.

President, I congratulate you on your Security Council presidency and thank you for convening this important meeting. We are at a critical juncture for the future of UN peacekeeping operations. We have seen firsthand the vital role these missions play in protecting civilians, preventing the spread of conflict, and building foundations for lasting peace. As the number of conflicts around the globe rises, it is critical that the Security Council has the right tools at its disposal to meet its responsibilities to maintain international peace and security. Peace operations are most likely to achieve their goals with a clear political strategy, strong backing from the Security Council, and host country ownership. Success is also fostered by mandates that are flexible and responsive to evolving needs, designed in close consultation with host countries and troop police contributing countries, and with predictable and sustained resources. Ireland considers the seven priorities of Action for Peace+ to remain highly relevant in shaping the future direction of peacekeeping. Sustainable success requires a holistic approach that includes strategic and operational integration, early and strategic planning for transitions prior to, as well as during, a mission's deployment, and making the essential link between peace operations and peacebuilding. In this regard, we call for the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 2594 on transitions. Spearheaded by Ireland, Resolution 2594 underscores the critical role of peace operations in pursuing sustainable political solutions and building peace. This resolution also emphasizes the need for peace operations to engage in integrated transition planning with the host state and other national stakeholders throughout the mission life cycle. Planning for effective transitions and adequately resourcing them is crucial to avoiding security vacuums and ensuring sustainable peace. President, The challenges facing peace operations today are significant and varied. They include increasingly complex conflicts involving diverse actors, the growing impact of climate change on peace and security, the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation, breaches of international law, and resource and budgetary constraints. To adapt to these challenges, future peace operations will require greater specialized capabilities, including enhanced situational awareness, information analysis, and strategic communication. Recruitment and training programmes must be adapted to these evolving challenges. It is vital to ensure that personnel provided by TCCs and civilians recruited for missions have the necessary skill sets to support mandate delivery. Strategic communications continue to play an essential role in promoting the positive actions and achievements of peace operations and countering mis- and disinformation. Therefore, adequate training that includes cultural sensitivity in this area, as well as provision of the appropriate technologies, is vital. The Secretariat should also continue to build on the progress in capability-based force generation through the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System. Regarding accountability of peacekeepers, Ireland encourages future progress in relation to performance assessment, recognition of good performance and improved accountability. President, partnerships with a range of actors at the international, regional, national and local levels are vital for the future success and sustainability of both peacekeeping and peacebuilding. They offer opportunities for burden sharing, leveraging complementary strengths, and enhanced legitimacy. Partnerships must be guided by principles of mutual respect, shared objectives, and host country centrality. Finally, we must also continue to insist on accountability for attacks on peacekeepers and UN infrastructure, as a failure to do so undermines the entire concept of peacekeeping. The principle of host country ownership also carries responsibilities in this regard. We welcome the opportunity to contribute further to this critical review in the future. President, to conclude, through the Pact for the Future, the international community collectively reaffirmed the importance of peace operations. We are committed to working to ensure that they can meet evolving needs and allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges. Ireland looks forward to engaging with all countries in this important exercise. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Ireland for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Paraguay.

Thank you, Mr. President. We welcome the holding of this debate, and we wish the Republic of Korea every success in your presidency of the Security Council. And we'd also like to thank the distinguished panelists for their presentations this morning. The peacekeeping missions in all forms are a primary tool for the implementation for dealing with the most delicate situations faced by this organization. And therefore, its effectiveness and efficiency is part of the development of the peacekeeping architecture, which this year is under review. Historically, Paraguay has committed efforts and supported actions in numerous peacekeeping missions, always consistent with our conviction that the international use of force by the UN is a last resort resource, ultima ratio, and that the principal tools of the pillar of international peace and security are dialogue, prevention, and negotiation. As examples of our ongoing commitment, we highlight that Paraguay currently holds the presidency of RELACOPAS, and that our Capital city will host next October the third ministerial conference of Latin America and the Caribbean on United Nations peacekeeping operations. Its theme, strengthening peace, compels us to study in depth the future of our operations in all their forms. We take very seriously the responsibility of supporting peace restoration and peacekeeping missions in conflict situations. The core nature of a peace mission lies in its temporal nature and in its ability to establish the foundations for ensuring that the region targeted by the action becomes, once the mandate has ended, a region free of conflict. For this reason, an inescapable condition for political stability is the empowerment of national governments and especially the full participation of society as a whole in the peace process and the normalization of community life. In this context, the resolutions on women, peace and security and on youth, peace and security are as relevant today as they were at the time of their adoption. In order to ensure that peacekeeping operations, whatever their format, can achieve a high level of efficiency in achieving their goals, it's very important that we have the necessary resources possible in terms of numbers and training. And that's why investment in training centers for staff in the troop contributing and police contributing countries should be a priority for the organization. In conclusion, President, we emphasize that as we approach the 80th anniversary of this organization's creation and in view of the review of the UN's work after 2030. It is more important than ever that the adaptability of peace missions to new challenges include the development dimension of affected countries, along with adequate financing of the missions themselves, in order to ensure that they are effective in achieving peace and, upon their drawdown, capable of ensuring the necessary reconfiguration for post-conflict recovery. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Paraguay for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Australia.

Your Excellency, Mr. President, thank you to the Republic of Korea, and let me also acknowledge Pakistan and Denmark for the focus on peacekeeping reform throughout your respective Council presidencies. Peace and security are the raison d'etre of the United Nations, and peace operations, both peacekeeping and special political missions, remain one of our most visible and impactful tools we have to promote peace. As the UN turns 80 and looks towards major reform, redefining the UN's role in peacekeeping, conflict prevention and peacebuilding is essential. The Secretary-General's upcoming review on the future of peace operations offers an important opportunity. an opportunity to outline a refreshed vision for the UN's role, capabilities and approach to peace operations. Australia supports reform which will create a more responsive and agile system, one that can deliver tailored solutions to prevent and respond to conflicts. Today, I'll expand on three key areas from Australia's submission to the review. First, We must seize this opportunity to reset and restructure the peace and security architecture, both at headquarters and in the field. Structural reform should drive greater integration, coherence, and ultimately enhance mandate delivery. Mandates should be clear, agile, and adaptable to increasingly complex threats. Reform must also safeguard the UN's core technical expertise and ensure a high level of readiness for future challenges. Second, we must better harness partnerships as a force multiplier, bringing together multiple member states to achieve diverse and meaningful impacts. Innovative partnership models such as triangular cooperation, co-deployments, or combined regional contributions amplify the ability of all states to contribute to sustainable peace. They also reduce the risk of duplication. Third, peacekeeping must double down on core strategic priorities, such as protection of civilians and women, peace and security, and also ensure doctrine keeps pace with new threats and opportunities. History has shown that protecting civilians is the benchmark by which communities measure success. We also know that women's full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace operations, peace processes, and peace building has a direct link to more durable solutions. Ensuring missions are guided by inclusive leadership, supported by a team with local experience and the right capabilities is absolutely essential. Mr. President, as the dynamics of conflict changes, the UN must keep pace. The current upheaval in the multilateral system demands urgent and lasting reform. Australia looks forward to the Secretary-General's review, responding to this moment with ambitious and impactful proposals to adapt peace operations and to also reaffirm the UN's leadership role on peace and security globally. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of Australia for her statement. I now give this floor to the representative of Belgium.

Mr. President, I thank the Republic of Korea for convening this important debate and the briefers for their valuable insights. Belgium aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. I have the honour to speak in my national capacity. As the UN80 initiative progresses, we are reminded that reform is not only about improving efficiency. It is about reaffirming the value of multilateralism. The Pact for the Future, adopted by consensus, rightly calls for a review of all forms of UN peace operations. Today's debate is a timely opportunity to reflect on the future of the UN peace architecture. Belgium welcomes the work of the Secretariat and the experts in identifying the challenges peace operations face, especially in the independent study commissioned by the Department of Peace Operations. These significant challenges are well known, but they deserve closer attention. Disinformation surrounding peacekeeping operations does more than sow mistrust or create unfavorable conditions. It costs lives. Restrictions on the freedom of movement of peacekeepers and the violent targeting of ongoing missions by all kind of actors turn peacekeepers into enemies in the eye of some, despite their commitment to international peace and security. Another major obstacle is the failure to meet financial obligations. Mandates may be debated, but they are decided by Member States and by Member States only. Not honoring contributions directly undermines the ability of missions to deliver. These challenges erode not only the effectiveness of UN action, but the legitimacy of multilateralism itself. And at whose expense? For whose benefit? Mr. President, to strengthen impact and efficiency, UN peace operations must enhance coordination with regional partners. The European Union and the African Union are natural allies. Complementarity between UN missions, AU-led operations and EU CSDP missions is essential, especially when deployed in the same context. This partnership should support capacity building and the transfer of responsibilities to national authorities. Local ownership improves the sustainability of peace efforts, as does meaningful engagement with communities and civil society. Inclusiveness, especially of women and youth, is key. As we mark 25 years of Women, Peace and Security agenda, we must keep the fight against conflict-related sexual violence and the protection of children at the forefront of peacekeeping efforts. Finally, mandates and operations must be focused, agile, and adaptive to evolving realities, from climate change to technological innovation. and, last but not least, designed with a clear end in sight. This is also key to ensuring better resourcing and fostering greater understanding and support from local populations. Belgium remains a committed partner in training and capacity building, notably through the LITE coordination mechanism, the Triangular Partnership Programme, and the Partnership for Technology in Peacekeeping. To conclude, Mr. President, peacekeeping is only possible because of peacekeepers. We honour their service and sacrifice, and hope for the safe return of every single one of them. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Belgium for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Kenya.

Thank you, Mr. President. Kenya congratulates you on assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of September and for convening this important debate. We also appreciate all the briefers in today's session. Peace operations remain one of the most visible and effective tools at the disposal of the Council for maintaining international peace and security. Over the past eight decades, missions have demonstrated their ability to shorten conflict duration, protect civilians, support political solutions, and prevent regional spillover. Unfortunately, The impact, effectiveness and adaptability of UN peace operations is currently under challenge. Kenya approaches this conversation with the weight of lived experience. We first deployed peacekeepers in the late 1980s, and since then, Kenya has contributed over 50,000 personnel across more than 45 UN and African Union missions. Our commitment goes beyond deployments. Kenya hosts the UN's Triangular Partnership Program, where over the past decade, we have trained hundreds of engineers, logisticians, and counter IED experts, including women peacekeepers. We have pledged specialized capabilities under the UN Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, from heavy transport companies and aviation units to mobile training teams. And today, we lead the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, demonstrating our belief in burden sharing and responsive, demand-driven peace support. Kenya has witnessed the difference that effective peace operations can make, and also the damage when they fall short. which is why we welcome the Pact for the Future and its calls for a comprehensive review of all forms of UN peace operations. We strongly support the Secretary-General's ongoing strategic and action-oriented review and urge that it preserve core uniformed and civilian capacities, including those related to the protection of civilians, human rights and the women, peace and security agenda. Kenya recalls the discussions that took place in this Council in March under Denmark's presidency and in July under that of Pakistan, both of which underscored broad agreement that peace operations must be agile, politically anchored, people-centered, and capable of responding to fast-evolving security environments while remaining grounded in the Charter. Yet many missions today still face obstacles ranging from rigid mandates, underfunded operations, and limited coordination with regional and national actors. Too often, transitions are not planned early enough, leaving gaps between peacekeeping and peacebuilding. These challenges require institutional clarity, financial stability, and decisive multilateral action. Mr. President, Kenya proposes the following actions. First, that we fully implement the Action for Peacekeeping, A4P, and A4P plus, priorities including performance accountability, integration, host state cooperation, and strategic communication. We call for systematic mainstreaming of gender, protection, and human rights across all mission types. Second. Preserve the essential mission capacities and critical enablers of mission agility and responsiveness, which include political affairs, mediation support, logistics, surge response, and mandate review. Third, ensure that peace operations contribute more proactively to the Pacific settlement of disputes, including through mediation, preventive diplomacy, and the Secretary-General's good offices, and linked to longer term peace building and development. And finally, enhancing regional partnerships, including AU-UN cooperation framework, while also supporting the expanding regional role of subregional organizations, such as IGAD and ECOWAS. In conclusion, Mr. President, Kenya believes that with political will, adequate resources, and renewed multilateral cooperation, we can build an architecture of peace operations that's agile, inclusive, and anchored in the principles of the Charter. We will therefore continue to be active partners in reimagining and reinforcing the future of UN peace operations. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Kenya for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Mexico.

Mr. President, Mexico welcomes this open debate on the future of peace operations, a review mandated by the Pact for the Future and carried out in the context of the UN80 initiative. Despite occasional and circumstantial mistakes, one of the most positive tasks that the United Nations has undertaken in the most diverse regions of the planet has been peace operations. The world must become aware of this when questions are asked with regard to what is the relevance of the United Nations in today's world. Given the growing trend of the Security Council to increasingly transform peacekeeping operations into special political missions, and taking into account the closure of several of these operations, it is urgent to reflect on the implications of these actions on the ground. It is undeniable that the international community is facing new and very complex challenges that affect peacekeeping operations in terms of their reconfiguration and development. I will mention just some of these: the involvement of non-state actors, the proliferation of weaponry, the external financing of armed groups, the potential malicious use of artificial intelligence, and the limitations of financial and human resources. In this regard, in order for peace operations to be effective, more agile and adapted to each context, their mandates must be clear, realistic and be the outcome of deep political analysis. This degree of precision will make it possible to balance the immediate tasks of protection and stabilization with the long-term goals of peacebuilding in coordination with the United Nations system and under the leadership of the host country. It is also essential that operations maintain as a central priority the protection of civilians, also human rights and the full and equal participation of women and youth. My country believes that within the framework of the UN80 initiative, strategic capacities should be preserved, such as mediation and preventive diplomacy, as well as data analysis, without losing sight of the physical, mental and psychosocial security of the personnel involved in peace operations. We also stress that the Organization's financial crisis must not put at risk the performance, security, or the credibility of peace operations. These operations must not only help to contain or to manage a conflict, they must also contribute in a sustained, substantive manner to building a lasting peace. Mexico urges the strengthening of synergies with regional organizations and with the Peacebuilding Commission in order to prevent the resurgence of conflicts and in order to support orderly transitions. As every year, my country will present in the Fourth Committee, together with Finland, the traditional resolution on special political missions. and we hope to be able to count on the support of the entire UN membership for its adoption. Finally, Mexico reiterates that the essence of peace operations must be to assist States and their societies in the peaceful settlement of disputes and do this through preventive diplomacy, mediation and, where appropriate, through the good offices of the Secretary-General. The ongoing review is a unique opportunity to ensure that these tools remain relevant, effective and in harmony with the ideals of the Charter of our Organization. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Mexico for his statement. I now give the floor to representative of Vietnam.

Mr. President, I would like to thank the Republic of Korea for convening this debate as part of a joint initiative with Denmark and Pakistan, which I find is an excellent way for non-permanent member states to increase the permanency of the issues of importance for Council consideration. So thank you very much to the three non-permanent members. Mr. President, Vietnam believes that UN peacekeeping remains one of the most visible and effective demonstrations of multilateralism in action. But UN peace operations today stand at the crossroads. They are deployed amid increasing complex geopolitical and security contexts, exacerbated by persistent financial shortfalls and growing threats to the safety of peacekeepers. The credibility of UN peace operations will depend on their ability to adapt swiftly and deliver effectively. And for that to happen, I propose to focus on some priorities. First, the protection of civilians must remain at the heart of all peace operations. Safeguarding civilians, especially women and children, is central to the credibility of the United Nations and its peacekeeping missions. Missions should be the beacons of hope for local communities. They should put the people at the center of their operations. They should build trust and win the hearts and minds of the people. Second, greater emphasis must be placed on mediation, preventive diplomacy, and the Secretary-General's good offices. Peace operations should not be limited to crisis management, but must contribute to the peaceful settlement of disputes by supporting political processes, fostering trust, and promoting inclusive dialogue and reconciliation. Third, Member States must meet their financial obligations in full and in time. Sustainable and predictable resources are vital for missions to succeed. Words and commitments must be matched with action. And fourth, let's engage in a learning process, a process to distill the very best lessons from the decades of experience in peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding. These lessons, in our view, may inform our deliberations in this review process, but also in creating or adjusting mandates. For more than a decade, Vietnam has directly contributed to UN peacekeeping operations, guided by the Charter, international law, and the conviction that multilateralism is the only path to sustainable peace. We remain committed to working with all partners to ensure that peace operations continue to serve as a cornerstone of international peace and security. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. Representative of Vietnam, for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Czechia.

Well, thank you, Mr. President. Czechia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union, and I would like to add a few remarks in my national capacity. Well, first of all, Mr. President, I would very much like to thank the presidency of the Security Council, the Republic of Korea, and of course, Pakistan and Denmark for convening this important debate and for your commitment to strengthening UN peace operations, ensuring that they remain relevant, effective and resilient in meeting present and future challenges. Czechia supports the vision of agile, adaptable peace operations as stipulated in the Pact for the Future. Rapid and decisive deployment in complex environments can prevent the escalation of conflict. Equally, mandates that are flexible and responsive to realities on the ground are vital if peace operations are to succeed. This approach reflects Czechia's long-standing priorities: flexible mandates, clear communication, and practical contributions. Since 1993, Czechia has proudly contributed nearly 4,000 military and civilian personnel to some 30 UN peacekeeping missions. Given our national military capacity and existing commitments, we will continue to do our part through both military and police participation. while contributing troops to the Quick Reaction Force under the UN readiness system. We also provide training for future UN military observers and remain fully committed to our financial obligations. Looking ahead, Czechia would like to highlight five strategic and action-oriented recommendations. First, peacekeeping mandates must be clear yet adaptable, Mandates should be flexible and modular, capable of adjusting to evolving conditions, and firmly embedded in a wider diplomatic strategy. Second, operations must be rooted in partnerships and designed to promote sustainable peace. True stability comes from strong local institutions and a rule of law, reinforced by regional cooperation such as the collaboration between the UN, the African Union, and the European Union. Third, we must strengthen strategic communication and actively counter disinformation. Public trust is indispensable. The legitimacy of peace operations depends on effective outreach and genuine engagement with local communities. Fourth, women's full, equal, and safe participation is essential. Sustainable peace requires women's meaningful involvement at every stage of the peace process. The women, peace and security agenda must therefore be an integral part of all mandates. And finally, peace operations must address new and emerging threats, including climate and technological challenges. In this respect, Czechia actively supports the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. Mr. President, Czechia stands ready to contribute to peace operations that are agile, adaptable, efficient, and sustainable. Together, through collective resolve, we can ensure that UN missions remain an indispensable instrument for safeguarding international peace and security.

I thank you.

I thank the representative of Czechia for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Thailand.

Mr. President, Thailand congratulates the Republic of Korea on assuming the presidency of the Security Council and commends your leadership in convening this important debate at a time of growing challenges to peace operations. The ongoing review on the future of all forms of UN peace operations, alongside the UN80 initiative, offers us a critical opportunity to address changing political and security environments.

The liquidity crisis may serve as a wake-up call.

For us to rethink and reform our approaches to ensure that peace operations remain effective, sustainable, and fit for purpose.

I wish to highlight three key points.

First, peace operations must be context-specific, realistic, and agile. No two conflicts are alike. Operations must therefore be designed holistically, drawing lessons from good practices and past experiences, and based on genuine consultation with all relevant stakeholders. They must have clear, prioritized, and achievable mandates, underpinned by predictable and adequate financing, and flexibility to adapt to evolving needs. Peaceful settlements should be pursued through mechanisms.

Tailored to each context, with full respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and ownership of the parties involved.

Dialogue, mutual respect, and cooperation remain the most sustainable path forward, as enshrined in Article 33 of the Charter.

To realize this approach, Thailand advocates for scenario-based planning and innovative dialogues, including tabletop exercises.

These tools are practical means to share knowledge and best practices, build capacity, and enhance preparedness, particularly for developing countries. Second, conflict prevention must remain at the heart of our efforts.

Prevention is the most effective and least costly form of peace operation.

We must revitalize existing mechanisms and develop innovative approaches for early warning, confidence building, and dialogue. Thailand welcomes the Pact for the Future and support a stronger reliance on preventive diplomacy and pacific settlement of disputes. We also view the 2025 peacebuilding architecture review as a vital complement to peace operations reform. Peace, security, and development are inseparable. Sustainable development foster inclusion, reduces vulnerabilities, and builds resilient societies. Community-led development, self-reliance, and a sense of shared responsibility are key to sustaining peace and preventing a relapse into conflict. Thailand, therefore, continues to promote the sufficiency economy philosophy as part of our peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts. Third, partnership and complementarity are essential.

Greater coherence is needed between the SC, the wider UN system, and regional organizations.

Regional perspective and sensitivities must be recognized as asset in building peace.

Thailand believes ASEAN and the UN complement each other well and can together strengthen peaceful settlement mechanism at the regional and global levels.

Adaptive and effective peace operations also require the meaningful participation of women. Women's leadership in conflict resolution and peace processes not only strengthen community trust, but also increases the chances of lasting peace. Therefore, Thailand advocates for the women, peace, and security agenda.

To be placed at the core of all UN peacekeeping operations and special political missions.

Mr. President, Thailand believes the review of the future of UN peace operations must be inclusive, engaging member states and all relevant stakeholders Dialogue, diplomacy, and good faith must remain the cornerstones of conflict prevention and of resolution.

I thank you.

Thank the representative of Thailand for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Ecuador.

Thank you, President, for convening this open debate. The challenges facing peace operations are becoming increasingly numerous and diverse. Therefore, the launch of the review on the future of all types of United Nations peace operations is coming at a timely moment. One of these new challenges, not only for peace operations, but also for peace and security as a whole, is transnational organized crime. Organized crime often constitutes the economic foundation of conflicts. Criminal networks are usually closely linked to armed groups. but they can also be linked to government officials and local agents who are, at the same time, the partners upon whom peace missions depend to fulfill their mandates. Ecuador believes it's crucial that future mandates take into account the danger posed by transnational organized crime to peace missions and incorporate elements that allow this scourge to be addressed on the basis of international cooperation. Accordingly, mandates must be accompanied by sufficient resources. and the operations and initiatives of regional and sub-regional organizations must be supported, especially but not exclusively in Africa. Resolution 2719, adopted during Ecuador's presidency of the Security Council in December 2023, is a step in this direction. Innovative initiatives in other parts of the world must also have coordination mechanisms with the UN. including resource provision, and their mandates must focus on the ultimate objective, which is to provide security to the population. Likewise, Mr. President, I would like to mention the negative effects of misinformation and disinformation on the performance and safety of peace operations personnel. Disinformation is a global danger because it undermines trust in societies and, ultimately, peace. Disinformation has always existed, but technological advances have made it more effective and more dangerous than ever before. For this reason, strategic communications are and will be essential to manage expectations, to counter lies and foster trust between peace missions and the communities where they operate. I conclude by reiterating my country's readiness to support the building of better prepared peace operations that contribute effectively to the construction, the building of sustainable peace. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Ecuador for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Egypt.

Thank you, Mr. President. We thank the Republic of Korea for organizing this important meeting. We also thank all the briefers. Mr. President, Egypt has always supported all the efforts of UN peacekeeping missions. We've contributed troops and police officers. We've also contributed a civilian component. We provided experts to a number of peacekeeping missions around the world. We've had a record of achievements over the past 60 years of during UN peacekeeping. We have contributed over 30,000 personnel. that served in 37 peacekeeping missions in 24 countries. In addition to the Egyptian achievements over the past six decades of UN peacekeeping, Egypt also made a number of sacrifices in this regard. 60 brave Egyptian soldiers have sacrificed their lives in the service of peace. We all know that the dynamics of peace and conflict are complicated, and peacekeeping operations, whether peacekeeping or special political missions, this is but one of the stakeholders with impact on peace and conflict. Peacekeepers can impact parties to the conflict, however, they cannot control them. and they cannot control the countless economic, social, environmental and political factors that impact conflicts. It is even more complicated now, during modern peacekeeping missions. The dynamics of conflicts are even more complicated and our mandates are even more ambitious. The success of peacekeeping is also closely linked to the will of parties to the conflict to create peace. Although UN peacekeeping missions can contribute to reducing damages even in the darkest of time, however, no mission can recover peace and stability if the parties concerned are not truly committed to peace and stability. Likewise, no mission can succeed without the necessary cooperation and support from the host country and other stakeholders. In addition to the legal consent of the host country, what matters the most is the genuine commitment to push the peace process forward and the main reforms forward, and the willingness to cooperate fully with peacekeepers. When there are problems, Mr. President, which will be addressed during the current review carried out by the Secretary-General of the future of UN peacekeeping operations, the United Nations should be able to address whatever challenges that appear during this review. The efforts made to improve the efficiency of peacekeeping operations should not adversely impact or be at the expense of the main capacities of military, police, and civilian components, as well as their functions, such as protecting civilians, strengthening the role of women in building peace. These are in line with the principles of the UN Charter, but they are also necessary strategically and politically to build peace and maintain peace. Egypt reaffirms the importance of strengthening cooperation and partnership between the United Nations and the African Union to maintain peace. This will happen by operationalizing the true implementation of Security Council Resolution 2719, which will provide the necessary sustainable, predictable, and flexible funding to peacekeeping operations of the African Union with a mandate from the Security Council to strengthen efforts to achieve the goal of silencing the guns in Africa. There's also a link between peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and conflict prevention, especially during the transitional period of peacekeeping operations or as they withdraw or draw down from the field. As a main part of achieving the sustainability of peace, we need greater coordination and dialogue in this regard between decision makers at the UN in order to plan ahead the mandates of peacekeeping and provide the necessary funding for the functions of peacekeeping. In conclusion, Egypt is a pioneer when it comes to reconstruction and development in post-conflict situations at the African Union, and we've contributed and facilitated the comprehensive review process alongside Slovenia. And as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Peacekeeping Commission, we will continue, alongside Slovenia, to engage with all entities and follow up on all processes, including the process to review the future of peacekeeping operations and the UN80 initiative in order to reach tangible and practical recommendations to guarantee that there's alignment between the peacekeeping agenda and peacebuilding agenda, and to strengthen the role of the Peacekeeping Commission, especially when it comes to strengthening preventive national strategies and to have further coordination between peacekeeping operations and agencies working on the ground to achieve a sustainable peace. I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of Egypt for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Nepal.

Thank you, Mr. President. I thank the presidency of the Republic of Korea for convening this very important open debate. I also commend the distinguished briefers for their substantive and insightful briefings. Mr. President, UN peace operations have remained one of the most effective and indispensable multilateral tools for promoting international peace and protecting lives. For over seven decades, Our Blue Helmets have served with unwavering dedication for a noble cause: restoring peace, protecting civilians, monitoring ceasefires and peace agreements, connecting the UN with grassroots communities, and facilitating the peacebuilding processes. Peacekeepers support governance, foster dialogues, provide humanitarian aid, help communities, and work towards peace and stability. Nepal is proud to have been contributing to global peacekeeping, ranking among the top troop-contributing countries. Our peacekeepers serve with professionalism, with humility, and with deep respect for human dignity. Mr. President, while peace operations continue to play a vital role in maintaining stability in the evolving geopolitical landscape, shifting realities and the emergence of non-military actors and domestic and international dynamics have introduced new challenges. Many peace operations are facing more intense security threats, operational constraints and political challenges. Consent, impartiality and the non-use of force, the foundational principle of UN peace operations, have been increasingly contested. Overstressed and burdened with increasingly enormous expectations, peace operations are in need of adaptability and resilience across the peace continuum. Similarly, attacks against peacekeepers, increased restrictions on their movements, and the failure of political processes they support have all exacerbated the difficulty of their operations. Mr. President, in this context, I would like to stress a few priorities. First, effective peace operations require unified political will, especially from the Security Council, to sustain diplomatic pressure and support political solutions. Second, mandates must be clear, focused, and adaptable. backed by adequate resources and free from operational caveats, an approach Nepal is strongly committed to. Third, peace operations missions need a well-defined exit strategy, integrating political, development and humanitarian efforts to avoid post-withdrawal vacuums. Strong coordination with UN entities, development partners and local actors is a must. Fourth, regional partnerships, shared best practices, and coherent field-level planning are essential to navigate complex local dynamics and build trust. Enhanced training, including language proficiency, empowers personnel to engage communities effectively. Inclusion of youth, women, and others must shape every stage of peace efforts. from prevention to recovery. Five, we should promote preventive diplomacy, focus on the whole of system approach, and mobilize appropriate tools and resources, including the UN Secretary-General good offices that can play an important role in mediations, facilitations, and meaningful dialogues to prevent conflict and secure peace. Sixth, peace agreements that are nationally laid and nationally owned and that are grounded in inclusive consultations and dialogues are key to building lasting peace. Nepal's own experience affirms that such approaches ensure legitimacy, stability, and broad-based support. Last but not the least, we must tackle the root causes of conflict. through sustained investment in inclusive, sustainable development. The synergistic role of the UN Peacebuilding Commission is crucial in this respect. In conclusion, Mr. President, peace operations remain indispensable tools for advancing global peace, security, and saving lives. Their transformation must be a shared priority, anchored in coherent political strategies, realistic mandates and clear exit pathways. Peace operations must adapt to new realities while remaining responsive, inclusive and grounded in local legitimacy. As the largest troop and police contributing country, Nepal stands ready to contribute its means, and expertise to this endeavor. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Nepal for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Angola.

Mr. President, Excellencies, UN peace operations are faced with unprecedented challenges driven by complex global geopolitics, rapidly changing in the nature of contemporary conflict, evolving security threats such as terrorism and hybrid warfare, proliferation of non-state actors, and shifting priorities among member states. On the other hand, the international support for them is also declining, despite the fact that they remain an essential tool to protect civilians in conflict situations and actively promote long-term peace and security strategies. The current security and diplomatic dynamics facing the peace operations require that they urgently adapt in order to be able to effectively fulfill their mandates. Mr. President, the Pact for the Future called for a review of peace operation practices to better address both existing challenges and emerging realities. In fact, their future which is a major and direct concern for Africa, requires a more strategic and comprehensive approach. As the continent that hosts most of the peace operations in the world, Africa can and needs to contribute to the search for ways of improving the standing of peace operations as a useful part of the toolbox for advancing peace and security. This must entail continuously reinforcing African ownership of peace mechanisms and process by evolving continental stakeholders as closely as possible in their design, implementation, and strategic orientation. The African Union and its regional organizations have already demonstrated that they have a clear comparative advantage as first responders with the political will to undertake offensive operations in high-risk environments to address peace and security challenges. In this sense, the adoption of UN Resolution 2719 represents an important milestone in the United Nations-African Union partnership on peace and security, since it provides the framework for adequate, predictable and sustainable financing to African Union-led peace support operations. Mr. President, to conclude, allow me to make three recommendations. First, the Councils need to ensure full and consistent political and financial support to peace operations in order to enable them to deliver on their mandates more effectively and create favorable conditions for finding durable solutions to conflicts. Second, it is fundamental to take into account the role and the competitive advantage of regional partners in peace operations to have a comprehensive and effective response to current and emerging peace and security threats. Third, we need to manage the expectation of the authorities and the citizens of host countries regarding the UN peace operation mandates and what missions can realistically deliver on the ground to avoid crisis of legitimacy and forced early exit. As a country that benefits from four UN peace operation missions authorized by the Security Council to achieve peace and national reconciliation, Angola believes that they must continue evolving to adapt to new conflict dynamics and operational environments to retain their strategic relevance. I thank you.

Thank you, representative of Angola, for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Saudi Arabia. Sayyid Al Rais.

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, at the outset, my delegation would like to express our thanks and appreciation to the Republic of Korea for organizing this important debate. We also welcome the briefings from the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commissions. We thank them for their briefings. We also reaffirm the importance of looking into ways to protect peacekeeping operations and look into effective strategies in line with the current international circumstances and the crises witnessed by some regions, this requires more flexible international mandates and a bigger role of the United Nations and peacekeeping operations around the world. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supports all the endeavors of the United Nations, including and particularly peacekeeping operations, working on maintaining international peace and security. Strengthening peace was the main reason for the establishment of the United Nations. It continues to be one of its main objectives pursuant to the Charter. In order to facilitate peacekeeping operations so that they can accomplish their goals in effective manner, they should complement the role of regional organizations and countries concerned in line with their mandates adopted by this Council. Without a doubt, protecting UN personnel is a need that we cannot overlook. Therefore, in order to maintain peacekeeping efforts and providing assistance around the world, there should be an end to hostilities, and we need to make sure that Security Council resolutions are fully implemented when it comes to protecting U.N. personnel, peacekeeping operations, and we should commit to developing more effective strategies to provide a safe environment for peacekeepers. In this regard, my country supports the initiative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, entitled A4P, which provided shared commitments for peacekeeping operations. We cannot speak about maintaining international peace and security without referring to the repeated and blatant Israeli violations in our region, the Middle East. They are targeting civilians, and the infrastructure in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. And we also recently witnessed a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the state of Qatar. The kingdom condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the brutal Israeli attacks and the blatant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar. The Kingdom stands in full solidarity with the State of Qatar, and we will support the State of Qatar in all the measures it will take. We also warn of grave consequences if the Israeli occupation continues with its criminal violations and complete disregard of the principle of international law and all relevant international norms. Once again, we call on the Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities in a decisive manner to put an immediate end to Israeli violations without preconditions. Ending Israeli violations is an international demand, given that these violations are undermining clearly undermining regional and international peace and security. This Council must practice all its prerogatives pursuant to the UN Charter to put an end to these blatant and repeated violations and crimes. If the Council is unable to shoulder its responsibility to maintain peace, international peace and security, this will be considered as a green light for Israel to continue to kill and displace and occupy and violate the sovereignty of most countries in the region. In conclusion, Mr. President, the changes we are facing today in our world means that the international community should support the role of the United Nations to maintain peace. My country calls on all other countries to reaffirm their full support to the efforts of the United Nations and the Secretary General and relevant international initiatives, and strengthen the role and mandate of PKOs to achieve the objectives of this organization pursuant to the UN Charter. I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of Saudi Arabia for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Cyprus.

Thank you, Mr. President. At the outset, allow me to express our sincere appreciation to the Republic of Korea for organizing this important debate and to all briefers for their insightful remarks. Cyprus fully aligns with the statement delivered by the European Union, but I would like to make some additional remarks in my national capacity. Mr. President, this debate comes at a pivotal moment as the United Nations undertakes a review on the future of all forms of UN peace operations. Based on the Pact for the Future's call to adapt peace operations to better respond to existing challenges and realities, it is first and foremost essential to reaffirm our shared commitments to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Since the first special political mission and peacekeeping operations were deployed in 1948, peace operations have grown, adapted, and evolved to meet the demands of different conflicts, multifaceted crises, and complex challenges, navigating the difficult path from conflict to peace. Peace operations are a great example of multilateralism in action, mechanisms that are indispensable for the maintenance of international peace and security. In this regard, the effectiveness and adaptability of peace operations is more crucial than ever. While we are undergoing the reviews of UN peace operations and the peacebuilding architecture review at the same time as the UNAT initiative is underway, we need to ensure coherence and consistency between the different reviews while ensuring that these reforms do not affect the ability of peace operations to deliver on their mandates. In this context, allow me to highlight three important key points. First, Security Council mandates must be fully respected and implemented. Therefore, it is imperative for the UN Security Council to remain at the center of the peace and security architecture, as it bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Second, peace operations must be anchored in the principles of the UN Charter, and the future of peace operations must remain focused on upholding international law and human rights. Lastly, in our effort to adapt peace operations to new realities, we should not lose sight of the core principles of peacekeeping, the consent of the host country and the impartiality of the peacekeeping mission. Mr. President, Cyprus, as the host country to a peacekeeping mission, is fully cognizant of the necessity of sustaining a UN force that prevents the recurrence of fighting, particularly in the face of ever-evolving challenges. UNFYP's mandate, as agreed by the Republic of Cyprus, aims to uphold the Charter, implement the relevant UN Security Council resolution, and act as a bulwark against the consolidation of the effects of military aggression and illegal military occupation by contributing to the restoration of law and order and ensuring a return to normal conditions. Mr. President, in a rapidly changing world, it is in our common interest to make the UN peace operations fit for purpose. Peace is a collective effort, and peace operations are an indispensable tool for peacebuilding and stability, requiring a shared vision, strong unified political backing, and strong financial support. I thank you.

Representative of Cyprus for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Romania.

Thank you, Mr. President, and I want to thank the Republic of Korea for organizing this important debate. during your mandate. I would like to pay our deepest respect to the UN peacekeeping personnel, with a special tribute to the peacekeepers who have lost their lives or have been injured in the field. I have with me in this chamber, Mr. President, our defense and home affairs attaches, who provide significant contributions for Romania's efforts in the UN context. Peacekeeping has been at the core of the peace and security pillar and one of the most relevant tasks of the Security Council. UN peace operations face an escalating array of complex issues, which include increased volatility, protracted conflicts, new challenges from weaponized technology, but also declining political support. This evolving landscape demands rethinking and reforming operations and special political missions, their mandates, and their conduct. Romania has been a committed contributor to peacekeeping since 1991, and one of the supporters of the special political missions mandates. Romanian peacekeepers have been deployed in some of the most demanding environments and are currently present in more than half of the existing UN peacekeeping operations. My government has also put forward opportunities for capacity building, providing trainers and facilitators for courses organized by the Department of Peace Operations, and organizing specific pre-deployment trainings which benefited police officers in 34 countries on four continents. We align with efforts to ensure peacekeeping remain principled, effective, and credible, while reaffirming our steadfast support for this essential UN mandate, politically, financially, and through the continued deployment of Romanian military, police, and corrections personnel. Reaffirming the commitment from the Berlin Peacekeeping Ministerial, Romania will continue to support UN efforts in order to ensure international peace and security, while taking into consideration that the success of peacekeeping operations is achieved through the availability of the needed capabilities with proper selection and training. Mr. President, we can hardly imagine a future without peacekeeping in conflict situations. And this is why UN 80 initiative creates the premises for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of this lifesaving activity of the UN. To that end, increased ownership by the host nation is critical, and regional support is welcome. With full respect for international law, to be most effective, UN peacekeeping must support political solutions and must be integrated with preventive and peacebuilding activities, with a modular approach that considers the specific needs of the host country in a consistent and coherent use of all UN tools. In this regard, we express appreciation for the ongoing work on the Peacebuilding Architecture Review. We believe that missions need to be responsive and accountable while promoting the full, equal, safe, and meaningful participation of women and youth in peace processes. And last but not least, my delegation emphasizes that the Council's unity, clear mandates, and realistic objectives remain decisive for the future of peacekeeping operations. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of Romania for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Croatia.

Thank you, Mr. President.

And allow me to congratulate you on assuming the presidency this month, and to thank you again for convening this important debate. Croatia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European.

Union on behalf of its member states, and I would like to add a few remarks in my national capacity.

UN peace operations remain a vital instrument for preventing, managing, and containing armed conflict. They bring legitimacy, offer long-term dividends for peace, and enable genuine burden sharing. Yet their effectiveness is increasingly challenged. Unclear political strategies, mandates that do not match resources, raising security threats, weaponization of technology, mis- and disinformation, climate-related pressures, and deepening geopolitical divides all undermine the trust we place in these missions. Croatia's experience in various UN-led operations confirms that in so-called frozen conflicts, tensions remain unresolved. Without clear political will, financial sustainability, and consistent engagement by key actors, peace operations risk stagnation and eroding credibility. Looking ahead, missions will face asymmetric warfare, a growing influence of non-state actors, and escalating digital threats. Mandates must therefore be flexible, realistic, and context-specific, sequenced to reflect political realities and be achievable over time. Above all, we must recognize that sustainable peace depends on political solutions rooted in inclusive, people-centered strategies and backed by genuine political commitment. The full, equal, safe and meaningful participation of women in all phases of peace processes remains indispensable to these efforts. Allow me to underline three priorities Croatia sees as essential for the success of future peace operations. First, missions must prioritize civilian protection, particularly for vulnerable groups, while building trust with local communities, fostering dialogue, and addressing environmental drivers of conflict. This requires clear strategies, adequate funding, and close coordination with regional and financial partners. Second, the UN Secretariat must enhance early warning, conflict analysis, and horizon scanning capacities using advanced technologies to anticipate risks. Stronger integrated planning between UN headquarters and field missions is essential, alongside agile, multidisciplinary capacities in cyber defense, civil protection, medical response, and strategic communications. Comprehensive training, cultural awareness, and high conduct standards must remain non-negotiable. Third. Peace operations must empower women, youth, civil society, academia, and local communities, ensuring their perspectives guide mission design and implementation.

I thank you.

Thank you, representative of Croatia, for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Peru.

Thank you, Mr. President. It's a pleasure to see you chairing these deliberations. I would like to firstly thank the permanent mission of the Republic of Korea for the invitation to participate in this important debate, as well as for your diligent work as President of the Security Council this month. Improving the adaptability of our contingents deployed in peacekeeping operations in line with current scenarios and future challenges is a core part of our multilateral commitment to the principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations, to preventive diplomacy and to sustaining peace on the basis of the peaceful settlement of disputes. We believe that the most recent and sensitive realities drive us even more to undertake actions aimed at guaranteeing the security of the civilian population, over and above any other goal. These actions must be accompanied by preventive non-military approaches that address the root causes of violence. In this context, our work not only requires better technology for military or police operations, but also requires adequate preparation to comply with measures relating to environmental protection, social responsibility and gender equality. This is why, for our country, the role of women in peacekeeping and peacebuilding is fundamental, due to their mediation capacity in resolving conflicts. The new review of the UN peacebuilding architecture in 2025, on which we are working, must take this into account, as well as comprehensive and resilient strategies for post-conflict recovery. in whose implementation the participation of Peruvian women provides outstanding added value. Indeed, since 1958, Peru has deployed more than 10,000 military personnel in UN peace operations, which is based on a consistent and permanent state policy. Currently, we have 254 military personnel and 20 police officers deployed in six peacekeeping operations and one special political mission: the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Abyei, Lebanon and Colombia, respectively. These contingents include 50 women in the military component and 10 in the police component. In addition, We have maintained a rapid reaction force made-up of 250 personnel and equipment with immediate deployment capability, and that's been the case since 2023. We believe that in the light of new threats, special attention must be paid to the adaptability of our personnel's capabilities in the detection and deactivation of explosive devices, given the significant increase in their use by armed groups. particularly improvised explosive devices. I must highlight the fact that Peru is the only country in Latin America and the Caribbean contributing to UN peacekeeping operations by deploying a specialized team in the detection and deactivation of explosives. Their brave and risky work saves the lives of civilians living in high-risk areas. in the city of Boa, in the western sector of the Central African Republic, where the PERU engineering company is deployed. This work is complemented by important awareness-raising efforts directed at the population with regard to this scourge, which helps to safeguard the physical well-being of approximately 150,000 inhabitants, whose lives are in constant danger due to the planting of explosives by rebel groups. President, I wish to conclude by reiterating that Peru renews its commitment to strengthening a preventive and sound diplomacy through concrete actions and efforts aimed at ensuring the adaptability of the capacities of its military and police personnel currently deployed in peace operations, in line with the new realities and threats on the ground. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative Peru for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Ghana.

Mr. President, let me begin by thanking your delegation, the Republic of Korea, as well as those of Denmark and Pakistan for this important meeting on peace operations. Ghana salutes the contributions of peacekeepers and pays tribute to all gallant personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of peace. I recall that two years ago, almost to the day, I gave a briefing in this Council on peacekeeping in my capacity then as the Chair of the Working Group on Peacekeeping. The concerns around peace operations that existed two years ago have not changed. If anything at all, there is a renewed urgency required to address them. Today's conflict environments are often cast in the shadows of rising geopolitical tensions, rooted in the proliferation of armed groups, exclusion, inequalities, social and political marginalization, exacerbated by climate change, food insecurity, violent extremism, worsening terrorism, and spread by the flames of misinformation and disinformation. These circumstances require us to pivot and follow a new path. The direction identified by the Pact of the Future for a review of peace operations provides us a way to effectively consider the gamut of options available to adapt peacekeeping and make it more impactful for the populations caught in the throes of instability. As we look forward to the future of peace operations, we must necessarily be reminded of the challenging circumstances within which mandates are crafted and supported, the dangerous environments they operate in, and the diminishing impact of operations in host states. But also in the face of such a reality, we must muster the courage to be bold and deliberately unconventional with how we imagine, tailor, and operationalize peace operations. For today's open debate, Ghana would like to highlight a few points in support of the call for reflection and hopefully as a contribution towards the prospects of a better future of how the organization responds to the prevailing peace crisis. Mr. President, peace operations must have a clarity of their strategic objectives and be focused on realistic operational goals. They must through special political missions aimed at preventing conflicts, enabled by a reinvigorated preventive diplomacy agenda, and where conflicts occur, responded with resoluteness to help conflicting parties to abate the bleeding, clean their wounds, and set their societies off to serve recovery and sustain peace. That enterprise by the United Nations cannot, however, be made to replace the role of host states. It must yield to national demands and the necessity for a tailored approach that closes identified gaps, trims the scope of operations to afford agility, and adopts a modular approach to enhance flexibility of methods and effectiveness of impact. Peacekeeping must not be allowed to grow endless beyond what is necessary for its envisaged key roles. With 80 years of history and many lessons to guide us, Our goals should acknowledge the interconnectedness of the peace continuum, about naturally creating a single backbone for response within the continuum, which relates to conflict resolution, conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and sustaining peace. From prevention of conflicts to sustaining peace, the transformative impact of the United Nations peace architecture must be leveraged for full advantage of prevention and sustainable conflict management outcomes, as well as for fostering an environment conducive to lasting peace and stability. This will require an enhanced level of coordination between mandates adopted by this council and the work of other bodies such as the Peacebuilding Commission, as well as those within the development space. It will also require that we mobilize the political world to narrow the gap in the resources put at the disposal of peacekeeping missions and those we are prepared to give UN country teams to support broad peace efforts. Mr. President, many have spoken about the need for primacy of politics and mandates for peacekeeping missions, and Ghana agrees with them. Ghana supports the delivery of coherent and unified political strategies for resolving conflicts, and within the regional context of Africa, calls for the deepening of the peace engagement between the United Nations and the African Union to silence the guns on the continent of Africa. In this context also, Ghana urges the faithful implementation of Resolution 2719, That's a necessary and effective option for resolving the limitations of United Nations peace operations on the African continent. The challenges that this council has encountered in the application of 2719 does not define what the framework resolution stands for, nor should those challenges diminish the potential of this well-thought-through partnership framework and its envisaged impact for the resolution of the contradictions to peace on the African continent. Mr. President, in closing, Ghana remains committed to advancing the effectiveness of United Nations peace operations. Next month, from 14 to 16 October, in the city of Accra, Ghana, and Sweden would be redeeming the pledge to host the Challenges Annual Forum 2025 in support of the Secretary-General's ongoing review of all forms of peace operations. We are optimistic that underpinned by a strong assessment of the existing challenges and the available opportunities, including regional collaboration, These operations can be brought back towards the path of reliability and provide assurance for populations in conflict contexts that this important instrument of the United Nations can still be a source of hope. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Ghana for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Malta.

I thank you, Mr. President, and I thank the Republic of Korea for convening this timely discussion on the future of UN peace operations. I also extend my gratitude to each of the eminent briefers for sharing their insights with us. Malta aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union, but I would like to make the following remarks in our national capacity. As we celebrate the UN 80th anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism and peacekeeping as essential components for maintaining international peace and security. At the same time, the growing complexity of transnational conflicts and the impact of climate change necessitate that we adapt our strategies to meet these evolving challenges. The Pact for the Future and preceding it, the Secretary General's Our Common Agenda, have emphasized the importance of adaptable and flexible peace operations. Malta believes that it is key to focus on initiatives that enhance the agility, ensuring they are consistently tailored to country, cultural, and region-specific situations, and informed by a broad spectrum of political considerations. The future of peace operations must include a renewed focus on realistic and achievable mandates. However, this must not mean that non-traditional security issues, including the drivers of conflict in the 21st century, should be relegated to secondary importance. In the context of ongoing discussions regarding the UN80 initiative, we hope and expect a holistic assessment of mandates and their significance We need action-oriented recommendations to ensure UN missions remain fit for purpose. President, while pursuing efficiency, we must ensure that our core principles are never compromised. Malta would like to emphasize that, regardless of how we reform or streamline UN peace operations, certain core capacities must be preserved and strengthened, while our principles must be safeguarded. Protection of civilians, human rights, youth participation, and the women, peace, and security agenda must remain central across all mission types. 25 years after Resolution 1325, we urge renewed commitment to the women, peace, and security agenda and peace operations, advocating for environments that ensure women's full, equal, safe, and meaningful participation in peacekeeping and peace processes. This was the thinking behind the resolution 2764, which Malta led the adoption of almost one year ago, and which focused on the need for sustainable child protection capacities within UN peace operations. Malta also reiterates that peacekeeping and peacebuilding must extend beyond immediate post-conflict recovery to include governance reforms, development, and institutional capacity building. Flexible and predictable funding models, incorporating the insights of affected communities to shape priorities, and deeper cooperation with regional organizations to strengthen the sustainability of peace efforts are critical. We reaffirm our commitment to the Pact for the Future and the Peacebuilding Architecture Review as opportunities to strengthen the multilateral system and build an inclusive, resilient, and responsive architecture for peace. We also emphasize the importance of responsive and accountable peace operations. Malta supports the A4P+ agenda and ongoing reforms to improve transparency, performance, and cost-effectiveness, ensuring that financial pressures do not compromise mandates or the safety and credibility of UN missions. Inclusive leadership, local engagement, and the systematic integration of gender and protection mandates are essential to legitimacy and impact. We encourage the use of data, perception surveys, and local feedback to shape mission priorities. In this regard, we recognize the vital role of the Peacebuilding Commission, the Peacebuilding Fund, and the Peacebuilding Support Office in promoting peace. Malta reiterates its unwavering support for the need for consistent and reliable funding for peacebuilding initiatives, particularly those led by women and youth organizations. Their participation is essential for achieving lasting stability. In closing, I wish to reaffirm Malta's belief that lasting peace can only be achieved achieved through collective action, strategic partnerships, and a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and post-conflict recovery. We look forward to working with all member states and partners to realize this vision and to ensure UN peace operations remain a cornerstone of international peace and security for the decades to come. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Malta for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Rwanda.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Let me congratulate you on the presidency of the Security Council and reiterate Rwanda's support to you and the Council. I also thank the briefers and those who spoke before me.

I join you all in paying tribute to peacekeepers who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty, and salute those who are serving in different peacekeeping operations around the world.

In the interest of time, I have cut my statement short, and I have shared the full version on e-statement.

Mr. President, the discussion on the future of peacekeeping would draw on the past experiences, learning from both mistakes and successes.

In that regard, I would like to make the following points.

First, the need to address the root causes, such as governance, corruption, social injustice, discrimination and poverty, and the drivers of conflict.

As these issues demand commitment to overcome them, the international community should invest considerable efforts towards durable solutions, rather than dealing with their consequences only. There is a need to rethink the funding of peacebuilding as the path to a sustainable peace.

Second is the mandate.

Peacekeeping missions.

Have suffered from unrealistic mandates, resulting in a lack of trust among host nations and parties to the conflict.

Which affect their effectiveness, efficiency, and the safety and security of peacekeepers, especially in the quest for a military solution to a political problem. Political dynamics can also affect the impact of peacekeeping missions. We believe it is important for the Council to take this into account when developing mandates, so that the United Nations can further strengthen the trust and confidence of the international community.

In this.

Regard, mandates must be guided first and foremost by the security needs of the affected nation and its people, rather.

Than by external interests.

Third, is the issue of principles. Impartiality as a principle of.

Peacekeeping has contributed to the Blue Helmets' trust and respect as a multilateral force and guarantors of peace and stability.

However, its application has been at variable geometry due.

To unclear regional or global geopolitics, compelling peacekeepers to take sides in the conflict, which is morally and ethically wrong. At the same time, the political leadership of UN missions is of extreme importance. Regardless of resources allocated to a peacekeeping mission, if leadership is weak, biased or lacking in vision, success cannot be achieved.

Strong, principled and impartial leadership is therefore indispensable to ensuring that peacekeepers maintain credibility.

And are able to fulfill their mandates effectively. Fourth is the protection of civilians. The issues of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and incitement to violence continue to undermine the protection of civilians in conflict zones. The world we aspire to must not tolerate racism, dehumanization, extremist rhetoric, derogatory terminology, conspiracy theories, or any hateful content. This is detrimental to conflict prevention, and we must understand that combating hate speech is the protection of.

Civilians, as hate speech precedes crimes of mass violence and genocide.

It, however, becomes worse when the United Nations falls into the trap of misinformation and disinformation of all kinds.

By echoing unverified reports from any media sources and politically manipulated and biased research.

Fifth is the mission accountability. The current budget constraints serve as a reminder of the need to consistently assess progress in relation to resources allocated to each mission. Mandates, resources and operational concepts should be adjusted in line with realities on the ground to ensure that expectations are met. Peacekeeping operations should be guided by a clear timeframe, measurable indicators of effectiveness, and a well-defined exit strategy. Last but not least is mandate legality.

It is important that peacekeeping mandates are framed with careful attention to legal considerations.

This includes ensuring that operations do not even indirectly create associations with groups whose ideology and pursuit should be fought by the United Nations. Maintaining this legal clarity is essential to uphold both the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations' peacekeeping efforts. I once again, Mr. President, reaffirm Rwanda's unwavering support for multilateral and regional peace operations, and I look.

Forward to the development of a practical model of peacekeeping. one that reflects the realities we have discussed and ensures that the United Nations can continue to play a vital and enduring role in peacekeeping. I thank you for your attention.

I thank the representative of Rwanda for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Timor-Leste.

Mr. President, distinguished members of the Council, dear colleagues. I congratulate the Republic of Korea on its leadership this month, and thank you for convening this important debate. I also commend for the briefers for their insightful contributions this morning. Mr. President, Timor-Leste's perspective on peace operations drawn from our lived journey. The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor played a decisive role in our transition to independence. It secured peace, enabled elections, and laid the foundations for institutions. However, it also revealed critical gaps. Judicial reconstruction and long-term resourcing were not adequately prioritized, leaving vulnerabilities that resurfaced once the mission departed. Despite these challenges, Timor-Leste today is a consolidated democracy in Southeast Asia. Our trajectory demonstrates the transformative potential of UN operations and the risks when mandates are underfunded, rigid, or detached from local realities. Mr. President, UN peace operations have safeguarded international peace and security for over 75 years. They have helped to end wars, protected civilians, and built the foundations of peace. However, today they face unprecedented challenges. protracted conflict, cyber threats, violent extremism, climate pressures, and widening inequalities. Meanwhile, persistent liquidity crisis and delayed reimbursements erode troop safety and mission credibility. If peace operations are to remain effective, we need a new paradigm built on adaptability, inclusivity, and sustainability. Allow me to highlight four recommendations. First, peacekeeping must evolve from static model towards real-time data-driven strategies. We recommend piloting predictive analytics and new technologies by 2027 and onwards to anticipate crisis before they escalate, particularly in volatile regions. Partnerships with regional organizations, including ASEAN and the African Union and other regionals, should be institutionalized to bring local knowledge into global operations. Second, 25 years after Resolution 1325, women's participation in peace processes remains uneven. We urge the establishment of annual benchmarks for women's leadership roles in missions and the allocation of dedicated resources for women peace and security training across all operations. Gender equality must not be treated as optional, but as a central to sustainable peace. Third, peace operations cannot depend on fragile and delayed contributions. To ensure stability and burden sharing, we propose exploring hybrid financial models, including public-private partnership and dedicated trust funds, alongside reforms to assessment scales. By 2026, member states should pilot innovative financing schemes under the Action for Peacekeeping Plus agenda. Fourth, we call for preventive diplomacy units and regional mediation hubs in high-risk zones, which must report annually to this Council. Investing in prevention is both more cost-effective and more humane than responding after violence has erupted. Mr. President, Excellencies, Timor-Leste's story proves peace operations can succeed when context sensitive, inclusive, and adequately resourced. However, success cannot be taken for granted. We must modernize our tools, strengthen our partnerships, and ensure that missions are not starved of resources or vision. Timor-Leste, therefore, calls for a revitalized peace operations architecture. one that embraces adaptability through technology, ensures inclusivity through WPS integration, secures sustainability through financial reform, and prevents conflict through stronger mediation capacities. With these new paradigms, we believe the United Nations will remain fit to confront the evolving threats to international peace and security. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Timor-Leste for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of South Africa.

Thank you, Mr. President. South Africa wishes to thank the briefers for the insightful briefings and also to appreciate the coordinated efforts of Denmark, Pakistan, and the Republic of Korea on matters of peacekeeping operations. Today's open debate builds upon the discussions that have been ongoing on the future of peacekeeping operations within and outside the UN. As much as there are challenges facing UN peacekeeping operations, there are also untapped opportunities that require not only identification but exploration. It should thus be borne in mind that our continued discussions on the future of peacekeeping operations are taking place in a context of complex and evolving geopolitics that affect the nature of responses by decision makers. Compounding these complexities, amongst others, is an increase in non-traditional or by diverse threats to peace, the involvement of a multitude of non-state actors, the role of new technologies, the preponderance of transnational and cross-border crimes, and the normalisation of international law violations, especially international humanitarian law, by conflicting parties, including states. These developments necessitate a rethink in how peace support operations should be configured and deployed. Recently, we have had the opportunity to submit written inputs to the ongoing review of all UN peace operations. We would thus like to highlight a few issues related to our debate. All mandates of UN peace operations must be targeted, tailored to each conflict situation and the impact measurable, the host country and or region should determine the nature of the assistance required to ensure that each peace operation yields positive results. Given the context specific nature of conflict, it has become abundantly clear that pacific resolution of disputes through dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations should be prioritized across the peace continuum. For peace operations to be impactful, they should receive full support from Member States for their optimal operationalization in discharge of their mandates. The much touted modular approach to peacekeeping operations needs to be considered with caution, since overarching objectives of many peace operations are to protect civilians against harm and civilian infrastructure from destruction. The partnership between the UN and regional organizations remain critical in any future operations. In our view, the UN-African Union cooperation in peace and security epitomizes the principle envisaged in Chapter 8 of the UN Charter. In the context of preventative diplomacy, There is a need for the deployment of trusted emissaries with requisite skills and capabilities to carry out the mandate of good offices of the Secretary-General. Fundamentally, new skills, abilities and capabilities are required for future peacekeeping operations. In view of the financial constraints, including the ongoing UN80 initiative, careful consideration will need to be given to the retention of the best experienced staff with relevant capacities, beyond political considerations. In conclusion, Mr. President, it would be remiss not to address the important role of this Council in the elaboration of mandates of UN peace operations. Regrettably, the Security Council continues to be hobbled by polarization due to prevailing destabilizing geopolitics. We have witnessed its inability to act decisively in the most intractable conflicts, as well as the unfolding genocide in the Gaza Strip. The double standards, hypocrisy, and inconsistent applications of the UN Charter by the Security Council continues to undermine its integrity. As the UN and its Council commemorates its 80th anniversary, we should ask, are we doing what we are supposed to do? which is implement the Charter and our Charter responsibilities. If not, and the thousands of lives being lost is testament to this, then what should we be doing to address this shortcoming?

I thank you.

I thank the representative of South Africa for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Poland.

Mr. President, I would like to begin by thanking the Republic of Korea for organizing this debate and the briefers for their informative statements. Mr. President, Peace operations represent one of the greatest achievements of the international community. They enable impartial actions to protect global order, prevent escalation, and foster conditions for conflict resolution. Almost 80 years of peace operations prove that they are foremost an indispensable tool for protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Polish engagement in the peacekeeping missions has deep-rooted history and demonstrates our commitment to the values enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Currently, a Polish contingent of about 200 soldiers is serving in the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon. We also provide military observers to other missions and training. Mr. President, peacekeeping operations face a number of serious challenges that affect their effectiveness. The armed conflicts are becoming less territorial, While the impact of modern technologies and artificial intelligence is growing, non-state actors are becoming more prominent, complicating traditional approaches to conflict resolution and peacekeeping. The future of peacekeeping operations demands decisive action and strategic decisions. In particular, the Security Council members must demonstrate strong political commitment and actively engage in reforming and adapting missions to evolving global realities. It is crucial to develop more adaptable mission models that balance the need for effective action on the ground with realistic transitions and exit strategies. These models should leverage the real strengths of peace operations while recognizing their limitations, including their dependence on strategic consent and the support of key conflict parties. Mr. President, adopting a modular approach will enable tailoring of the missions to local context helping them adapt over time and fostering a wide range of partnerships both with and beyond the UN system. We must highlight the protection of civilians as a crucial goal of the mandates of UN peace operations. Bearing in mind that the long-lasting peace may only be achieved through diplomacy, inclusive and constructive dialogue with stakeholders on the ground, the Security Council need to strengthen and better implement primacy of politics principle. We must also highlight the human rights, development, and peace nexus. Whatever the particular narratives of the day might be, there is no peace without development, there is no development without peace. Mr. President, the Security Council needs to work closely, not only with the Secretary-General, but also with other stakeholders, the General Assembly, ECOSOC, and the Peacebuilding Commission within the UN system. The success of peacekeeping is closely tied with the willingness of conflict parties to pursue peace. We all must do our utmost to ensure that choosing peace is the only way. Thank you.

Representative of Poland for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Finland.

Mr. President, I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Nordic countries, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and my own country, Finland. UN peace operations are at the core of UN action for international peace and security. Despite challenging circumstances, most UN operations have been successful in saving civilian lives and improving the situation on the ground. A key issue is the ability of the Security Council to take decisions and maintain its support to the operations. The Nordic countries expect the Security Council to act as the principal UN organ for peace and security, as envisioned in the Charter. The goal of any reform should be to strengthen the ability of the UN to maintain peace and security. Low-cost, downsized, or limited number of peace operations is not an end in itself. The overarching goal is peace. The UN has many instruments at its disposal. They could be used in more flexible and complementary ways, adapting the emphasis when needed. Coherent action based on shared strategic goal among the actors involved is key. Peace operations must continue to put people first. Protection of civilians is always central in mandates. We strongly support the women, peace and security agenda and gender equality. Integrating gender and youth peace and security components in peace operations are needed to enhance peace operations effectiveness. There must be zero tolerance to any wrongdoing, including harassment, gender-based violence and sexual exploitation. Compromised integrity may put the reputation of an entire operation in question. Host nations need to commit to effective implementation of operations. Achievable mandates matched by adequate resources and political support are important to avoid discrepancy between expectations and outcomes. Exit strategies must ensure necessary capacities for host countries to take over. Life cycle costs of UN operations need to be recognized. A robustly mandate and well mandated and well resourced operation may be more cost effective than one with limited resources dragging on for a long time, preventive impact could sometimes be achieved with a small input. Financing modalities for peace operations should be reviewed, ensuring a greater degree of flexibility, such as using resources of operations to finance peacebuilding efforts in mission drawdown settings. Comprehensive reform of UN peacekeeping would also require reviewing its command and control structures, including ensuring operational planning capability and the availability of operational enablers. Countering mis- and disinformation is key. Capacity needs to be built to tackle this. The role and need for reform of UN police needs attention. UN police play several important roles in peace operations, which require cooperation and coordination with other UN entities to ensure sustainable results, also after a peace operation has ended. Mr. President, UN80 and the Pact for the Future offer a fresh opportunity to assess UN peace operations and make sure that they remain a fit-for-purpose tool for a fit-for-purpose United Nations. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Finland for the statement. There are still a number of speakers remaining on my list for this meeting. I intend, with the concurrence of members of the Council, to suspend the meeting until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. This meeting is suspended.