Permanent Mission of India
New York
--

Peacekeeping Operations: Member States Views On The Secretary General Review On Future Of All Forms Of UN Peace Operations

Statement by Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, Permanent Representative
09 September 2025

Thank you, Mr President. At the outset, I congratulate 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 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 is confronted with multiple challenges, with political, operational, and technological complexities. The future of peacekeeping must revert to core principles of UN peacekeeping.

In this context, I would like to emphasize the following:

1. 
   Peace operations are likely to succeed when they are accompanied by a broader political process, with a clearly envisioned political outcome.
2. 
   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.
3. 
   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 It is time that UN peacekeeping missions with outdated and obsolete mandates are withdrawn and liquidated.

4. Troop-/Police-Contributing Countries must be involved in all stages of mandate formulation and implementation.

5. 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 the peacekeeping operations.

6. 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 2025, 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 2025 witnessing participation of women peacekeepers from 15 major troop-/police-contributing countries.
7. 
   Under India’s Presidency of the UN Security Council in August 2021, UNSC Resolution 2589 on Protecting the Protectors was adopted, whose implementation needs to be ensured. The construction of the memorial wall to honor the fallen blue helmets must also be expedited.

8. The effectiveness of UN peacekeeping is tied to the structure and legitimacy of the UN Security Council (UNSC), 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-/ 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.