On 5 November 2025, the Global Governance Institute co-organized on behalf of the Global Alliance for Peace Operations (GAPO) a discussion on ‘Strengthening and Preserving UN Peace Operations: Perspectives from the Global Alliance for Peace Operations’. Hosted by the German Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York and co-organized in cooperation with the Permanent Missions of Indonesia and Sierra Leone as well as the Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF), the event brought together more than 100 diplomats and peace operations experts in New York.
The discussion was part of the wider ‘Peace Operations Review Week’ that featured more than a dozen high-level and focused workshops and events on the future of UN Peace Operations at a time of acute challenges.
The event was organized as a follow-up to the Global Alliance for Peace Operations’ wide ranging events and civil society inputs in the run-up to and during the Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin in May 2025, in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry of Defence (in particular with Inger-Luise Heilmann).
The follow-up discussion in New York looked back at the achievements of the Ministerial meeting, reviewed increasing challenges and provided concrete recommendations for safeguarding and strengthening UN Peace Operations. The event was opened by representatives from the Permanent Missions of Germany (Colonel Axel Jancke) and Sierra Leone (Brigadier General Sahid Kanu), both highlighting the importance of a global dialogue on the future of peace operations that brings together a wide range of member states and civil society representatives. Both speakers emphasized that the momentum of the Ministerial Meeting in Berlin should be sustained at both the political and operational levels.
Joachim Koops, who moderated the event, stressed in his opening remarks that “the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial has highlighted wide-ranging support for UN Peace operations at the highest political levels, but it is vital that the pledges and political commitments are translated into actionable support at a time when UN peace operations and the United Nations themselves are under immense pressures. The consensus of the overwhelming majority of research has underlined time and time again that peacekeeping works and we weaken this vital global instrument at our own peril”.
Adam Smith, Team Leader of the Strategic Force Generation and Capability Planning Cell at the United Nations Department of Peace Operations’ Policy, Evaluation and Training Division, focused on the importance of maintaining peacekeeping readiness in order to navigate and react to changing demands in the peace operations environment. Even in the context of new ad hoc formats -such as the UN-authorized "Gang Suppression Force (GSF)” in Haiti- DPO’s expertise is being requested and asked for in a variety of contexts.
The panelists provided further analysis and lessons identified by the Global Alliance for Peace Operations on Hybrid Threats and Technology (Annika Hansen, ZIF), the Protection of Civilians (Lisa Sharland, Stimson Center), leadership (Catharina Nickel, UNU-CPR) and partnerships (Cedric de Coning, NUPI).
During the exchange with the audience, military and diplomatic representatives, aspects such as the need for a “group of friends of peace operations” amongst dedicated member states was discussed as well as different forms of strengthening peace operations through regular and more flexible financial and political mechanisms.
The event was closed by Brigadier General Felix Tobing of the Permanent Representation of Indonesia, reiterating the impact and continuing value of the Global Alliance for Peace Operations and the importance of following up with concrete actions by a broad coalition of states to preserve and strengthen UN peace operations.
Photo credits: German Permanent Representation to the United Nations
