Guyana urges UN to strengthen peace operations with adaptability, resilience, stronger resources

Guyana has called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to ensure that future peace operations are more adaptable, resilient, and adequately resourced to address today’s complex global security environment.
Delivering remarks at the Council’s open debate on “The Future of Peace Operations: Key Issues, Opportunities and Challenges”, Deputy Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN, Ambassador Trishala Persaud, stressed that modern missions must evolve in response to asymmetric threats, misinformation, organised crime, and the mounting effects of climate change.
“Guyana acknowledges the decades of success of UN Peace Operations in shortening conflicts, protecting civilians and preventing spill-over of crises. However, we must also take stock of the complex and multi-faceted challenges that define today’s security landscape and which sometimes transcend borders. The operating environment for UN peace operations is itself often marred by asymmetric threats, misinformation and disinformation, hostile national armed forces, organised crime and the effects of climate change. Consequently, UN Peace Operations must be more adaptable and resilient than ever before,” Persaud said.
The UNSC Peace Operations remain one of the most visible tools the international community uses to safeguard global stability. Authorised by the Council, these operations are deployed to countries facing conflict or instability, with the aim of preventing violence, supporting fragile peace processes, and helping societies recover from war.
UN Peace Operations take different forms. Traditional peacekeeping missions often combine military, police, and civilian components to monitor ceasefires, protect civilians, and assist with disarmament and reintegration of former fighters. Alongside these are special political missions, which focus more on mediation, diplomacy, and conflict prevention without large numbers of troops on the ground. In some cases, the UN partners with regional bodies to launch hybrid missions, such as those conducted jointly with the African Union.
The scope of these operations is wide-ranging. Peacekeepers may be tasked with protecting vulnerable populations, supporting elections, strengthening justice systems, and promoting human rights in volatile environments. They are often called upon to provide humanitarian assistance in areas where local institutions are unable to cope.
The Security Council holds ultimate authority over whether such missions are established, while the UN Secretary-General oversees their implementation through the Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
In addition to calling for peace operations to be more adaptable and resilient, Persaud explained that agility and efficiency must not come at the cost of core mandates such as civilian protection, promotion of human rights, and advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
The Guyanese envoy emphasised that prevention should remain the cornerstone of peace efforts.
“Moreover, agility and efficiency must never be achieved at the expense of core, non-negotiable mandates. The protection of civilians, including children, the promotion of human rights, and the full implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda are not ancillary functions; they are the very essence of our collective efforts to build sustainable peace and must therefore be part of the core of peacekeeping operations. These priorities are strategically and politically necessary for Missions’ long-term success. We must therefore ensure that they are maintained across all types of missions, even those with smaller footprints,” she further cautioned.
“Mr President, Guyana is of the firm belief that prevention is not only more humane but also more cost-effective than intervention. As such, we must place greater emphasis on the pacific settlement of disputes, and UN peace operations must be adequately equipped to support conflict resolution efforts utilising preventive diplomacy, mediation, and other dialogue-intensive efforts. The success of peace operations should be measured not just by their ability to manage conflict but by their capacity to prevent it from erupting or escalating. Peacekeeping missions must be fully equipped and mandated to support and facilitate political processes,” Ambassador Persaud added.