🌐 Global peace and security crisis? The future of peacekeeping in a more divided world

TLDR

UN peacekeeping operations are having serious problems, according to recent analysis by Andreas Karlsson at the Swedish Foreign Policy Institute. The sudden end of the MINUSMA mission in Mali and the scaling down of other operations reveal a geopolitical environment marked by distrust, competing interests, and growing authoritarian influence. As conflicts become more complex and new threats such as cyberwarfare and climate crises emerge, the older model of peacekeeping is proving increasingly ineffective. The weakening of peacekeeping signals a deeper erosion of “the international liberal world order” core values and institutions.

Peacekeeping - old and new challenges

A recent article by Andreas Karlsson outlines the unraveling of UN peacekeeping missions, beginning with the case of MINUSMA in Mali. The mission ended abruptly after the country’s military regime, which is aligned with Russia’s Wagner Group, demanded that UN forces leave. This action shows a major problem that when host governments reject neutrality and major powers block consensus, peacekeeping loses its legitimacy and operational basis.

Political scientist Lise Morjé Howard notes that historically, two-thirds of peacekeeping missions have been successful in reducing the recurrence of civil war and sustaining peace. However, today’s conflicts, such as those in Mali, the Congo, or Central Burma, rarely follow that pattern. These are not “post-conflict” zones with peace agreements to uphold since they are dynamic, fragmented wars without a common political roadmap.

Additionally, new threats, such as social media-driven militancy and climate-related instability, complicate the mandate of peacekeepers. UN University’s Adam Day even suggests future missions may need climate scientists and urban planners more than just soldiers and diplomats.

UN peacekeeping is one of the few tools that turn liberal ideals, such as international law, solidarity, and human rights, into visible action on the ground. Its decline threatens to leave a vacuum, which illiberal actors are happy to fill. Liberal democracies, especially in Europe, must therefore not only defend the UN system but also innovate by building parallel structures, regional capabilities, and reform mechanisms that reflect 21st-century realities. Otherwise, the ideals of cooperative security risk becoming nostalgic relics of the post-Cold War era.

Concluding reflections

Peacekeeping is a collective responsibility for global peace and security through international law and multilateral institutions. Therefore, the withdrawal of missions and lack of consensus at the UN signal not only geopolitical fragmentation but also a failure of political and social imagination. That means adapting peacekeeping to new threats, reconnecting it with inclusive political processes, and being honest about its limits. Suppose peacekeeping and human security are to remain functioning and make a real difference for humans in war and conflict zones. In that case, there is a need for both courage, civility, and creativity.
Thanks for reading. Please follow my blog, write your feedback, and support my writing.