Global Tensions and Funding Shortfalls Threaten Peacekeeping Missions: Sipri Report

International peacekeeping missions face an unprecedented threat from rising geopolitical tensions and a severe funding crisis, with UN-led operations being particularly vulnerable, a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) reveals. The report highlights a concerning decline in personnel deployed for these critical operations.

By the close of 2025, the number of individuals serving in international peacekeeping operations had dropped to just under 79,000. Sipri states this figure represents the lowest deployment level in at least a quarter of a century. This significant reduction in resources and personnel raises serious concerns about the capacity to effectively manage and resolve global conflicts.

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If it continues on this path, we could see a dramatic weakening of multilateral conflict resolution, and institutions like the UN could be almost completely sidelined due to a perfect storm of financial, political, and geopolitical factors.

Jair van der Lijn, director of Sipri's peacekeeping and conflict management program, issued a stark warning. He stated that if current trends persist, the world could witness a dramatic weakening of multilateral conflict resolution efforts. Institutions such as the United Nations may become largely sidelined, overwhelmed by a confluence of financial constraints, political disagreements, and geopolitical instability.

Van der Lijn further cautioned that the likely outcome of such a scenario would be an increase in the number of conflicts. Moreover, these conflicts could have even more devastating consequences for civilian populations as states increasingly abandon long-established norms of international conduct. In 2025, there were 58 active peacekeeping operations, marking the first time since 2016 that the number fell below 60.

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The result will likely be more conflicts, and these conflicts will likely have even more serious consequences for civilians as states abandon norms that have been established for a long time.