UN Security Council Adopts Resolution to Strengthen Accountability for Attacks on Peacekeepers
The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution authorising new steps to ensure that perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers face justice. The resolution, sponsored by Pakistan and Denmark and cosponsored by more than 150 countries, seeks to fill gaps in accountability for attacks on UN personnel.
According to UN peacekeeping department figures, nearly 1,100 peacekeepers from countries around the world have lost their lives in the line of duty since 1948, with thousands more injured. The resolution notes that while attacks are always condemned, the rate of prosecution for such crimes “has remained very low.”
Resolution 2823 emphasises that accountability is essential to deter future attacks, safeguard the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations, and ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers. It authorises Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to ensure that facts are collected after future attacks and to support investigations and prosecutions of all violent acts. The resolution also stresses the responsibility of host countries to take all necessary measures to investigate such crimes and prosecute the perpetrators.
Speaking after the adoption, Sun Lei, China’s deputy permanent representative to the world body, said further action by the Security Council was “extremely necessary and urgent.” He said, “The current international security environment is complex and volatile, and peacekeeping personnel face severe traditional and non-traditional security threats, especially given the recent spate of attacks that have resulted in casualties among peacekeepers.”
Denmark’s UN Ambassador Christina Lassen said the resolution sends a clear message to the more than 50,000 personnel serving in peacekeeping missions from Lebanon and Cyprus to South Sudan and Central African Republic: “Attacks against them will not be met with silence or impunity.” She added, “To the perpetrators of any crimes, wherever and whoever they are, it sends a firm message that the international community is watching, that crimes will not go unpunished, that accountability and justice will be pursued and will be upheld.”
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Ahmad said attacks against peacekeepers in several countries have increased in number and sophistication, often with little accountability. He remarked, “Condolences are necessary when peacekeepers are killed and injured, but what's needed is justice. Most importantly, this resolution is a strong expression of the council’s political will to stand by the peacekeepers.”
The Security Council also adopted a resolution in 2021 aimed at strengthening accountability for crimes committed against peacekeepers, building on prior efforts to address the issue.