- Nepal became the top contributor of military personnel. Bangladesh followed next. India was the third contributor. All three countries contributed chiefly to UN missions.
- Deployments fall more than 40% in a decade, as geopolitical tensions and funding cuts increase pressure on multilateral peace operations
The number of personnel deployed to multilateral peace operations fell by more than 40 per cent between 2015 and 2024. This information comes from a new analysis of developments and trends in multilateral peace operations. It was released today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). A total of 61 multilateral peace operations were active around the world during 2024. Geopolitical tensions and funding shortfalls are putting growing pressure on multilateral peace operations. The new report and data are published ahead of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on 29 May.
A total of 61 multilateral peace operations were active in 36 countries or territories around the world during 2024. This was two operations fewer than in 2023. The largest number was 21 in sub-Saharan Africa. There were 19 in Europe. 14 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), 4 in the Americas, and 3 in Asia and Oceania.
As of 31 December 2024, 94 451 international personnel were deployed in 57 peace operations. This is 42 per cent fewer than in 2015, which had 161 509 international personnel. It is also 6 per cent fewer than in 2023, which had 100 568 personnel. The large drop in personnel deployments over the decade happened even as the number of active missions remained relatively stable.
‘In recent years, it has become much harder to agree on multilateral peace operations. This difficulty was stated by Dr Claudia Pfeifer Cruz, Senior Researcher in the SIPRI Peace Operations and Conflict Management Programme.’ ‘Deploying and sustaining these operations is also more challenging. This is true both for the United Nations and for regional organizations like the African Union. This has real consequences for civilians on the ground.’
Most Peace Operations in Africa
Nearly three quarters of peace operations personnel (74 per cent, or 69 913) were deployed in sub-Saharan Africa in 2024. Another 15 per cent (14 498) were deployed in MENA. In Europe, 9 per cent (8898) were deployed. In the Americas, 1 per cent (828) were deployed. The remaining 0.3 per cent (314) were in Asia and Oceania. The only region to see a significant increase in personnel deployments compared to the end of 2023 was the Americas (+120 per cent), while numbers fell or stayed at around the same level in the other regions.
Geopolitical tensions hamper multilateral cooperation
Geopolitical tensions within the UN Security Council continue to impact multilateral peace operations. Conflicts around the world have been rising. However, no new large-scale UN-led peace operations have been deployed over the past decade. Talks on mission mandates in 2024 were often difficult and ambitions low.
‘Cooperation on peace operations in the UN Security Council needs to improve. If it doesn’t, we are likely to see states increasingly turning away from UN-backed multilateral approaches. States may attempt to manage conflict differently,’ said Dr Jaïr van der Lijn. He is the Director of the SIPRI Peace Operations and Conflict Management Programme. ‘We can already see this happening in the increased use of private military and security companies. There is also a proliferation of bilateral agreements for military deployments. Examples include Mozambique and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.’
Divisions within the UN Security Council caused delays in approval. This also delayed the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti (MSS). Discussions about the mission started in 2022. The first personnel deployments—a small contingent of Kenyan police—only happened in June 2024. In the interim, the problems related to gang violence that the MSS was meant to help address had deepened considerably.
Budget cuts threaten peace operation deployments and effectiveness
Funding constraints affected many multilateral peace operations in 2024. The UN peacekeeping budget faced a liquidity crisis. This was caused by delayed or incomplete payments from China, the United States, and other states. It impacted several UN-led operations. Operations led by regional organizations also suffered financial challenges. For example, funding shortfalls contributed to the termination of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) in July.
Funding challenges are likely to deepen in 2025. Top financial contributors such as the USA and European Union member states will shift their priorities towards defence. They will cut spending on aid and peace operations.
‘Increased budgetary pressure could force existing peace operations to downsize or close. Any new missions have precarious funding and are undersized or under-equipped. They might not be deployed at all,’ said Dr Claudia Pfeifer Cruz. ‘As traditional donors cut their investment in peace operations, they focus more on national or regional defence. This shift could allow other security threats to intensify and spread.’
Host states put brakes on peace operation withdrawals
In recent years, several states affected by conflict have sought more militarized alternatives to multilateral peace operations. They have deployed ad hoc military forces. They have also used private military and security companies (PMSCs). However, these alternatives have often had poor results. For example, after the closure of a major UN peace operation in Mali in 2023, threats from armed groups grew. This occurred despite the government working with a PMSC to fight the insurgency.
In 2024, host governments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Somalia asked peace operations to stay longer. They had previously told these operations to close down. However, there were concerns about armed groups gaining territory in areas from which the operations had withdrawn.
‘When peace operations have been drawn down or closed prematurely, it has left a dangerous security vacuum. In this vacuum, non-state armed groups have gained ground. They are displacing and even killing civilians,’ said Dr Claudia Pfeifer Cruz.
‘Peace operations may have limitations. However, they are still one of the most effective conflict-management tools that we have,’ said Dr Jaïr van der Lijn.
Other notable developments
All of the top 10 contributors of military personnel to multilateral peace operations were in the Global South. Nepal became the top contributor of military personnel. Bangladesh and India followed behind. All three countries contributed chiefly to UN missions. The remaining top 10 contributors were located in sub-Saharan Africa. These countries are Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Burundi, and Kenya. Another contributor was from South Asia, which is Pakistan. Overall, the top 10 contributors accounted for just over half of all military personnel deployed as of 31 December 2024.
The five largest multilateral peace operations in 2024 were in sub-Saharan Africa. They included the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Other operations were the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
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