STATEMENT 

by the delegation of Ukraine at the UNSC Open debate “Maintenance of international peace and security: The future of peace operations — Key issues, opportunities and challenges in the context of the review on the future of all UN peace operations”

(10 September 2025)

Mr. President,

I thank the Republic of Korea for organizing this important debate, as well as the briefers for their insightful remarks.

Ukraine aligns itself with the view that UN peace operations remain a central multilateral instrument for sustaining peace and security, protecting civilians, preventing the escalation of conflicts, and ensuring that essential assistance reaches the most vulnerable.

Yet they must continue to evolve in order to remain fit for the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

In this regard, allow me to highlight the following points.

First — protection and core mandates. Efficiency reforms must not come at the expense of essential mission tasks. Mandates must be realistic, guided by strategic vision, and supported with sustainable financing. Peace operations must retain sufficient uniformed and civilian capacities — including the ability to protect civilians from violence and to monitor and report on human rights violations. These functions are not optional; they are central to the credibility and legitimacy of every mission.

Second — agility through modern capabilities. Peace operations must be better equipped to respond to cross-border and hybrid challenges. This requires:

• mobility and rapid redeployment capacity;
• better use of technology, including situational awareness tools, secure communications, and data analysis;
• stronger capacity to counter disinformation that undermines mission credibility.

Third — sustainability and accountability. Liquidity crises must not jeopardize mandates or the safety of peacekeepers. Predictable and timely reimbursement to troop- and police-contributing countries is essential. At the same time, missions should implement transparent performance benchmarks and robust lessons-learned systems to ensure accountability and continuous improvement.

Mr. President,

Let me also underline a matter of principle. The credibility of UN peace operations is seriously undermined when states accused of aggression or grave violations of international law are allowed to participate in, or exert influence over, these missions. This concern is especially pressing in the case of countries whose armed forces have been repeatedly listed in the Secretary-General’s reports on children and armed conflict for killing and maiming children, and for carrying out attacks on schools and hospitals. 

Therefore, Russia must be barred from contributing troops or police to UN peacekeeping operations until its forces are delisted in line with the measures set out in the Secretary-General’s report S/2015/682.

Peacekeeping must remain the domain of states genuinely committed to the principles of the UN Charter and to the maintenance of international peace and security, not those repeatedly identified as violators of these principles.

Finally, Ukraine strongly supports the UN80 initiative and the implementation of A4P+. These frameworks should focus on concrete outcomes: safer peacekeepers, missions able to de-escalate crises early, and stronger partnerships with regional actors.

Mr. President,

Ukraine will continue to contribute personnel and expertise to UN peace operations. Our own experience with modern conflict, including cyber and information dimensions, can help shape peacekeeping that is more adaptive and resilient.

We stand ready to work with Member States and the Secretariat to ensure that UN peace operations remain credible, effective, and responsive to today’s realities.

Thank you.