First published in: Journal of the United Nations and its specialised agencies

UN peace operations - peacekeeping missions and Special Political Missions (SPMs) - are in crisis. Their planning, implementation and execution are being hampered by familiar problems such as a lack of resources and new challenges such as changing conflict dynamics. However, the conditions for reform currently appear favourable. In the UN Pact for the Future, heads of state and government emphasised the importance of missions - as well as the need for change. In principle, the missions should be seen as part of a holistic UN approach to lasting peace.

Credible political, personnel, material and financial support from the member states is essential in order to strengthen UN peace operations in the long term. Germany must play a more active role in this. The first National Security Strategy states that Germany wants to assume global responsibility in international crisis engagement and strengthen the UN. There are important opportunities for this this year, which must be utilised. For example, Germany is organising the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial (PKM) for the first time in May with a focus on the future of the missions. Germany is also currently chairing the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and is applying for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for 2027 and 2028. This gives rise to three options for action:

Germany should make greater use of its political influence in discussions on the future of the missions. At the PCM, the Federal Republic of Germany can provide substantive impetus as host, for example with regard to closer integration of peacebuilding in all phases of missions. As part of this year's review of the UN peacebuilding architecture, Germany, as the current chair of the PBC, should promote its closer involvement in Security Council discussions on missions.
In addition to ongoing financial and material support, Germany should also deploy more military, police and civilian personnel to UN peacekeeping missions. Greater personnel participation is important in order to appear credible internationally and to fulfil Germany's own foreign and security policy objectives.

Last but not least, more in-depth knowledge of UN peacekeeping missions is needed in politics and society. It is not only important to improve knowledge transfer about the variety of formats, but also to communicate its current successes without concealing criticism. National and alliance defence must not be played off against multilateral action, the importance of which - also for our own security interests - must be emphasised.

UN peacekeeping missions, which are demonstrably effective and cost-efficient, are an important instrument, not least against the background of the increasing number of armed conflicts and other cross-border security threats. The new German government must concretise important political goals and provide the necessary personnel and financial resources - not least in order to meet its own demands.

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