Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 33
33
Accepted in Part
Set out long-term plan for reforming UN peacekeeping bodies and aligning with UN80 agenda
Recommendation
It is clear that United Nations peacekeeping requires reform, and we support the Government’s efforts to promote a leaner peacekeeping and peace and security architecture at the UN. However, we would urge the Government to maintain UK investment in conflict prevention, including through the UN. The Government should: a. Set out, in its response to this report, its long-term plan to reform the over-inflated peacekeeping bodies and missions at the United Nations and how those plans fit into the United Nations 80 (UN80) agenda. The Government should detail its specific objectives. It should also consider whether in some places, redirecting investments to other UN arms, such as the UN Peacebuilding Support Office and its Peacebuilding Fund, could deliver the same or more impact at a fraction of the cost. b. Drive forward the review and closure of United Nations peacekeeping structures, missions, mandates and agencies which overlap or those which are not delivering their objective of promoting mediation and security. Additionally, the Government should outline its internal review process for deciding how mandates are evaluated. c. Lead on efforts to create a unified and singular United Nations peace and security structure, which is focused on mediation and conflict resolution. This structure should be responsible to the United Nations Security Council. d. Outline how it will use its penholdership of this file to promote, secure and further the United Nations’ role in peace, security and mediation and detail what conflicts it will identify as priorities. e. Seek to ensure that United Nations peacekeeping budgets and relevant peacekeeping mandates are financially supported despite the increasing polarisation evident on the United Nations Security Council, which may hinder regular budgetary processes. f. Actively push for the use of technology, particularly drones, in peacekeeping as a way to mitigate costs and promote safety in regions where peacekeepers may be at greater
Government response summary AI-generated
The government agrees with the need for UN peacekeeping reform, outlining its overarching reform objectives within the UN80 process, including enhanced efficiencies and tailored operations. They state they cannot divert peacekeeping funding but are a top donor to the Peacebuilding Fund, and describe ongoing efforts as penholder to advocate for UN legitimacy and WPS during budget negotiations, but do not address the use of drones.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted in Part
43. HMG agrees that UN peacekeeping remains an indispensable tool for peace and agrees with the need for UN peacekeeping reform as part of the UN80 process. HMG’s overarching reform objective is for peacekeeping mission planning to take a whole-of-UN perspective and approach, allowing peace operations to focus on security and political tasks where they have a comparative advantage, while development or humanitarian actors lead complementary work to avoid duplication. Throughout UN80 the UK is also advocating for enhanced efficiencies and reduction in overlap of UN peacekeeping structures, including within the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). The role of the UN Secretary General’s good offices remains critical, especially through the Secretary-General’s own platform as a global mediator-in-chief. Additional HMG reform priorities are focussed on ensuring peacekeeping operations are tailored to local contexts adapt as situations change, and are improved through appropriate training and equipment and by ensuring performance and conduct standards are upheld. 44. HMG recognises the importance and complimentary nature of peacekeeping and peacebuilding activity. HMG cannot divert funding from UN peacekeeping to UN peacebuilding activity as UN peacekeeping funding is non-discretionary and made via assessed UN contributions. The UK’s contribution for the 2025/26 UN Peacekeeping fiscal year (July to June) is $245m (4.7454% of the $5.16b overall peacekeeping budget). As a P5 member, the UK is the fifth largest contributor with the percentage of what each member state contributes agreed every three years. Instead, HMG engages closely with the UN Peacebuilding Support Office and the UK remains a top donor to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, investing a further £5.5 million this financial year. 45. HMG agrees with the importance of review and closure of UN peacekeeping structures when the right criteria are met, noting the UK is one of fifteen UN Security Council members. The UK tries to deliver value for money through the relevant UN committees, working with like-minded member states to achieve effective and efficient closures. HMG also agrees with the importance of evaluating peacekeeping mandates and mission effectiveness, HMG does so in several different ways. This includes SMAT (Strategic Mission Assessment Tool) visits to peacekeeping missions alongside consolidated advice from a variety of stakeholders such as embassies in host countries, the UK Mission in New York, the Ministry of Defence, former UN peacekeepers, and the contribution of UK Military Staff Officers into UN peace operations. 46. HMG appreciates the appeal of a unified UN Peace and security structure. For practical reasons, including the need to find global consensus on UN80 reform priorities, HMG is focussed on improving the coherence, efficiency and effectiveness of UN structures as set out above. This will enable the UN to return to its role as the world’s mediator and peacekeeper, alongside its conflict preventions mandate. 47. As penholder, the UK is active and engaged in matters pertaining to peacekeeping. This includes advocating for the UN’s unique legitimacy and comparative advantage in deploying multinational forces under the blue flag, with high standards in human rights, gender, and accountability; and cautioning against over-reliance on regional or coalition enforcement operations, which are not substitutes for UN peacekeeping. With respect to the UK’s penholdership of individual peacekeeping files, paragraph 33 (UNFICYP, Cyprus) provides a good example of UK success in maintaining longstanding UN Security Council unity. In this role the UK also continues to warn against the threat of roll-back on hard-won progress in key policy areas, including Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). As co-chairs of the Elsie Initiative Fund, we continue to advocate for the safeguarding of the WPS agenda throughout ongoing budget negotiations and within UN80 reform discussions.
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