The Crisis of Peacekeeping Operations

by Kanako Kinoshita | 28 May 2026 | Conflict/military, GNV News, World

GNV News 28 May 2026

According to an analysis released on 25 May 2026 by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on “Developments and Trends in Multilateral Peace Operations in 2025,” the number of personnel deployed to multilateral peace operations at the end of 2025 was about 78,000. Compared with the previous year, this represents the steepest drop in the past 10 years and fell to at least a 25-year low. In 2025, there were a total of 58 operations in 34 countries and territories around the world, three fewer than in 2024, but 73% of deployed personnel were concentrated in just 5 of these operations, 4 of which are located in sub-Saharan Africa.

Among multilateral peace operations, United Nations-led activities—namely UN peacekeeping operations (PKO)—have helped entrench peace not only by deploying troops (*) but also through a wide range of activities such as election support and reconstruction projects. They have contributed to peace in these ways. A key factor forcing PKO to make major personnel cuts and to prioritize deployment locations is a lack of funding. In July 2025, PKO faced a shortfall of as much as 2 billion US dollars, more than 35% of its total budget for the 2024–25 fiscal year. In addition, at the UN Security Council, clashes among the permanent members—the United States, China, and Russia—have made it difficult to update and decide on the conditions and mandates for continuing operations. As a way to fill the gaps left by UN-led peacekeeping, activities by regional organizations such as the African Union have also been highlighted. However, these efforts lack key capabilities needed for effective and integrated peacekeeping, and, like the UN, they face problems such as funding shortages and decision-making paralysis caused by geopolitical rivalries.

At the same time, many new peace and ceasefire agreements include plans to deploy multilateral peace operations, and there is evidence that broad and persistent support for multilateral conflict management still exists. Countries are expected not only to express verbal support for multilateral peace operations, but also to provide funding and secure political space so as to break out of highly militarized situations in which arrangements are directly swayed by the national interests of conflict parties.

*The top 10 contributors of military personnel in 2025 were all countries in the Global South.

Learn more about international cooperation including PKO → “Leaving No One Behind?”

Learn more about PKO in Africa → “Current Status and Challenges of PKO Operations in Africa”

Learn more about the UN’s funding shortfall in 2025 → “United Nations: Crisis Caused by Funding Shortages”