Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, has called on member countries to reaffirm their political commitment to peacekeeping operations. Speaking at the opening of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Accra, Lacroix stressed the importance of full support from member states to help countries achieve enduring peace.
“UN peacekeepers are saving countless lives with a relatively small investment. However, to enable countries to reach lasting peace, the organization requires comprehensive support from all member states,” Lacroix stated.
The Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping, a prominent UN gathering initiated about a decade ago, has become a regular event for the peacekeeping community. Previous meetings took place in New York (USA), Vancouver (Canada), London (UK), and Seoul (South Korea). This year marks the first time the meeting is held in Africa, specifically in Ghana.
The two-day event, which began last Tuesday, featured side meetings on “Women in Peacekeeping” and “Environmental Aspects of Peacekeeping,” co-organized by the USA and Sweden. Over 600 dignitaries from around 100 countries, including foreign and defence ministers, heads of international organizations, academics, social partners, civil society organizations, and journalists, attended the conference.
According to a report by the Daily Graphic, Lacroix highlighted the essence of peacekeeping as a partnership and underscored the need for strong and unified political support. This support is crucial to encouraging host countries and warring parties to reduce or end hostilities. “We need your financial support to ensure that peacekeeping operations have the necessary personnel and capacities. We also need your commitment as troops and police contributors,” he emphasized.
He acknowledged that the UN alone does not have sufficient leverage and that its strength lies in the political commitment and unity of its member states.
Lacroix also expressed gratitude to Ghana for hosting the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference, commending the country’s significant contributions to UN peacekeeping efforts. As the sixth largest contributor of UN troops and police and a member of the Security Council, Ghana has met the uniform gender parity targets for its peacekeeping contingents.
While lauding Ghana and other member states for their roles in peacekeeping, Lacroix reminded attendees that peacekeeping is not a panacea and cannot succeed alone. He called for the political will and active engagement of UN member states to secure sustainable peace.
Lacroix pointed out that the challenges faced by peacekeeping missions are more significant than ever, with increasing division among member states weakening their collective capacity to support political and peace processes.
