UN peace operations enter UNGA80 in a moment of churn: shrinking budgets, rising expectations and debate over whether the UN should double down on classic blue-helmet missions or pivot toward tougher regional forces. Amid the uncertainty, one fact is clear: peacekeeping remains essential.
Here are the big issues we’ll be watching throughout this year’s General Assembly – and what they may mean for Washington.
1. Reform in Full Swing
Peacekeeping is undergoing one of the most ambitious reviews in its history. In 2024, Member States launched a system-wide examination of UN peace operations, pressing for “action-oriented recommendations” to make missions more agile and effective. The Secretary-General is collecting input through formal consultations with a final report due in early 2026.
At UNGA80, expect a preview of the report that centers on the basics — what missions should focus on, how to make sure they’re properly funded and when and how to wind them down.
2. Budgets Under Pressure
In July, the UN approved a $5.38 billion peacekeeping budget for FY25–26 — about a billion less than five years ago. While some of these cost-cutting measures are welcome, they also come as the UN undertakes broader reforms aimed at reducing staffing by 20 percent across the system, with the sharpest impacts expected to fall on peacekeeping personnel in the field.
Compounding matters are payment shortfalls. Member States collectively owe billions, with U.S. arrears alone topping $1.5 billion. In Washington, two rescissions packages clawed back $660 million — money Congress previously promised to the UN — and cut U.S. peacekeeping contributions to less than half the amount lawmakers had originally appropriated this year. These gaps will translate into delays in reimbursing troops for equipment, closure of bases and mission drawdowns. Past drawdowns have consistently been followed by spikes in attacks against civilians, increased sexual and gender-based violence and a rise in extremism.
Anticipate plenty of efforts — and finger-pointing — to wrangle arrears.
3. Berlin’s Pledges and Field Realities
The 2025 Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin produced pledges from 74 Member States to increase peacekeeping investments and 88 new military/police units, as well as training and tech offers – all positive votes of confidence. The question for UNGA: how many of those pledges will turn into actual boots on the ground to meet the most urgent needs.
Expect pressure for a public scorecard to track how well countries live up to their commitments. For Washington, that could be positive news — a new tool to push for accountability and fair burden sharing. But its impact will depend on whether Congress follows through with the funding needed to meet U.S. pledges.
4. Regional Needs Growing
Several theaters underscore both the demand for peacekeeping and the fragility of current arrangements.
Haiti: Haiti is in the grip of overlapping political, security, economic, and humanitarian crises, with gangs controlling the capital and 5.7 million people facing acute food insecurity. In June 2024, a Kenyan-led multinational security support (MSS) mission arrived to backstop Haiti’s police, initially stabilizing conditions. But funding and equipment shortfalls — reliant on voluntary contributions that have fallen far short — have since eroded its effectiveness. As violence worsens, the U.S. has proposed a stronger Security Council mandate for a 5,550-member “gang suppression force” with authority to detain leaders. Its success, however, hinges on predictable financing from the international community, especially the United States.
Democratic Republic of Congo: In late June, President Trump and Secretary Rubio hosted the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda in Washington for the signing of a peace agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict. But as with any such accord, success depends on implementation — and that requires a trusted guarantor. The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, MONUSCO, is best positioned to play that role, a point underscored by the U.S. itself. As Ambassador Dorothy Shea, Acting U.S. Representative to the UN, told the Security Council: “Now more than ever, to support implementation of the peace agreement, MONUSCO must be empowered and enabled to execute the tasks that we, the Security Council, have given it.”
Somalia: The 2023 Security Council resolution 2719 created a path for UN-assessed financing of African Union support operations, but the Council failed to apply 2719 to Somalia’s new AUSSOM this spring, signaling political caution and raising stakes for the next test case. Without continued support from the international community, the AU and Somali forces will be hindered in their ability to fight al-Shabaab, increasing its room for maneuver and the chances it will expand areas of Somalia under its control.
Lebanon: In late August, the UN Security Council unanimously renewed the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). While some U.S. leaders pushed for closure and a recent rescissions package clawed back $361 million from several missions, including UNIFIL, the administration ultimately judged that stability in southern Lebanon was too important to broader regional ambitions. UNIFIL’s presence was extended until the end of 2026, though with significant financial strain following cuts to its budget.
Elsewhere, conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine highlight the likelihood that new or expanded monitoring roles could be needed in the months ahead.
5. Digital Threats and Disinformation
Peacekeepers today face not just armed groups but also a flood of false information. Rumors and disinformation have chipped away at trust, put missions at risk and made life more dangerous for both peacekeepers and civilians. Yet efforts to push back against these threats are still underfunded.
At UNGA80, expect calls for stronger strategic communications tools, though questions remain about funding and political will.
Bottom Line for U.S. Policymakers
If UNGA80 means anything for peace operations, it’s about making sure missions have the right goals, the right resources and the right approach to remain one of the most affordable ways to stop conflicts from spiraling and putting U.S. security at risk. There’s no question that peacekeeping is a bellwether of U.S. leadership — this September, the world will be watching to see whether the U.S. shows up not just with words but with the resources and commitment needed to keep the system working.
