Statement by H.E. Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the United Nations at the UN, at the Security Council Briefing on the United Nations peacekeeping operations: Heads Of Military Components
15.04.2026.
Madame President,
I thank USG Lacroix, Lieutenant General Nyone, and Major General Shrestha for their informative briefings. Let me also pay tribute to all personnel serving in UN missions and honour the peacekeepers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
Madame President,
Military components are the backbone of UN peacekeeping. Military personnel provide protection and monitoring across the mission area of operation and serve as enablers of a wide range of mandated tasks. At the same time, military components can only reach their full potential through integrated, whole-of-mission approach. Effective mandate delivery depends on close cooperation between civilian, military, and police components, ensuring that political, security, and rule‑of‑law efforts reinforce one another. This underscores the importance of recent initiatives aimed at advancing integrated planning across UN peace operations.
Today’s exchange is particularly important as the UN and its peacekeeping toolbox undergo a review process to remain fit for purpose in a changing security environment. Each mission faces distinct challenges, demanding tailored approaches and predictable resources, used strategically and efficiently. As the electoral process in the Central African Republic nears completion, MINUSCA is optimizing its posture. The mission’s effectiveness will increasingly depend on its ability to deploy rapidly where needed - particularly in the East. This highlights the necessity to provide the mission with adequate mobility and force projection capabilities, including air assets and engineering support.
UNISFA, while continuing to fulfil its important mandate, is facing a capability gap due to the absence of formed police units, alongside delays in establishing key civilian leadership arrangements. Addressing these shortfalls is essential, as durable stabilization cannot rest on the military component alone. It requires law and order capacities to address criminal activity and civilian mechanisms to manage tensions before they escalate. Furthermore, the withdrawal of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) team sites has reduced the visible, impartial presence that helped reassure the parties, build trust, and discourage incidents. We encourage both Sudan and South Sudan to engage with UNISFA in good faith to facilitate continued implementation of the JBVMM mandate.
Madame President,
Allow me to highlight three broader issues relevant to today’s discussion.
First, the safety and security of UN peacekeeping personnel is non-negotiable. Deliberate attacks against peacekeepers may constitute violations of international humanitarian law, and thus, war crimes. We must be clear that actors - whether state or non-state - who harass, endanger, or kill UN personnel are not only targeting individual staff. They are attacking the core values and fundamental principles that the UN and this Council represent. Such actions must be condemned, investigated, and perpetrators held accountable. Ensuring the safety of peacekeepers is essential for the credibility and effectiveness of UN operations.
Second, technological adaptation is indispensable in modern peacekeeping. Providing peacekeeping operations with equipment that matches the capabilities of conflict actors is critical for mission to be able to fulfill their mandates, ensure the safety of personnel, as well as the protection of civilians. The tragic drone strike against UN peacekeepers in Kadugli last December shows that this is not a theoretical concern but an operational reality. UN peacekeeping cannot remain analogue in the digital age. Missions should benefit from enhanced remote-sensing, situational awareness, and data-analysis capabilities - including those enabled by AI. At the same time, their use must remain responsible, transparent, and respectful of the sovereignty and rights of host nations and local populations. Investing in modern capabilities is central to enabling missions to operate safely and effectively.
Lastly, let me highlight the need for a strategic political approach to peacekeeping. Mission adaptation and transition must be based on realistic conditions, not arbitrary timelines. While no mission should be viewed as permanent, we need to aim for responsible transitions that require nationally owned political and institutional processes, supported by close cooperation between all mission components and host‑state authorities. Equally, mandates should be adequately and predictably resourced. No mission should be expected to do more with less.
The recommendations recently agreed by all troop-contributing countries during the session of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping (C34) echo many of these points, demonstrating a shared commitment to the strengthening of UN peacekeeping. This Council should match this commitment.
I thank you.