Tag Archives: peacekeepers

Violence surges in South Sudan leaving civilians at risk and peacekeepers stretched thin

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Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council on Tuesday, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said instability had risen sharply in recent weeks, driven by political deadlock among signatories to the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement and a dangerous escalation in armed confrontations.

Fighting has intensified most dramatically in Jonglei state, where clashes between Government forces and opposition elements displaced more than 280,000 people, according to government sources.

Reports of aerial bombardments, inflammatory rhetoric and severe restrictions on humanitarian access have raised fears of a return to the widespread violence seen in 2013 and 2016.

Communities, Mr. Lacroix said, are once again “on the move,” fleeing areas where fighting has erupted and basic services have collapsed.

Click here to read a summary of threats to South Sudan’s peace process and the converging political, security and humanitarian crises, and their impact on civilians.

Humanitarian statistics for South Sudan as of December 2025.

Crisis unravelling

In late January, Government forces instructed civilians, UN personnel and humanitarian workers to temporarily relocate from several counties in Jonglei, including from the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base in Akobo, citing an anticipated military operation.

Although the Government later denied issuing such a directive and reiterated its cooperation with humanitarian partners, the episode underscored the volatility of the situation.

Regional bodies, including the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have voiced alarm at the escalation, stressing that there is no military solution and that the peace agreement remains the only viable framework for stability.

Political deadlock deepens

Mr. Lacroix warned that unilateral initiatives to amend the peace agreement risk undermining its primacy, particularly proposals to defer key transitional tasks such as constitution-making until after elections scheduled for December 2026.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) has said it cannot engage in political dialogue while its leader, First Vice-President Riek Machar, remains subject to ongoing legal proceedings, further complicating efforts to break the stalemate.

Mr. Machar, once an ally of President Salva Kiir, has been under house arrest since March 2025 and reportedly faces charges of murder and treason – which he denies.

The UN Security Council meets on the situation in South Sudan.

Humanitarian crisis worsens

The deteriorating security situation is compounding what Mr. Lacroix described as one of the world’s most dangerous environments for aid workers.

In 2025 alone, 350 attacks on humanitarian personnel and facilities were recorded, a sharp increase from the previous year, as the country grapples with its worst cholera outbreak on record.

Since September 2024, more than 98,000 cholera cases have been reported nationwide, with a resurgence now underway in Jonglei. Flight restrictions and blocked movements are delaying medical evacuations and the delivery of lifesaving supplies.

Recent incidents include an airstrike on a hospital in Lankien on 3 February, which destroyed critical medical stocks and injured staff, and the looting of a health facility in Pieri the same day. Violence has also forced the closure of 24 nutrition sites in Jonglei, cutting off care for nearly 8,000 children, including more than 2,600 suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Peacekeepers stretched thin

Against this backdrop, UNMISS is grappling with significant funding-driven capacity reductions.

Mr. Lacroix said cost-cutting measures have already reduced protection patrols by up to 40 per cent in some areas and by as much as 70 per cent where bases have closed. Human rights monitoring missions have been cancelled, and tensions have increased in areas left without a UN presence.

At the same time, the Mission has been forced to redeploy forces to hotspots such as Akobo and establish temporary operating bases to deter violence and protect civilians.

“The trends we are currently observing are clear,” Mr. Lacroix said, urging the Security Council and international partners to ensure sustained political and financial support.

“The presence of UNMISS continues to matter a lot. It matters to the people that we protect, it matters to our humanitarian partners that we assist, and it matters to the peace process that we actively support and engage in.”

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World News in Brief: Afghanistan quake update, Guterres in Papua New Guinea, Ebola returns to DR Congo, UN condemns attack on peacekeepers in South Sudan

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Since the initial earthquake on Sunday in eastern Nangarhar province, landslides and several strong aftershocks have disrupted the work of rescue teams.

In an update, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said that access routes remain blocked in various locations including the districts of Chawkay and Nurgal, both in Kunar province, although the authorities have deployed earth-moving machinery to restore access.

Latest estimates indicate that approximately half a million people have been affected – including 263,000 children – while at least 5,000 homes have suffered partial or total damage.

Tremors continue

Among the UN agencies operating there, UN Habitat noted that the earthquake had caused massive upheaval in a remote region where recent returnees from Pakistan and Iran were just beginning to settle.

“There are still more earthquakes every day in the region, causing landslides and making access even harder,” said UN Habitat’s Stephanie Loose in the capital, Kabul.

She noted that women and girls were the main victims because of strict rules preventing them from leaving their homes alone.

“Many of them, due to cultural norms or restrictions imposed, didn’t dare to leave their houses; nor are there sufficient female doctors in the country, and I understand they are not able to reach the women who would need it,” Ms. Loose said.

Papua New Guinea’s on the frontline of climate change, warns Guterres

Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands are climate change’s “Ground Zero” whose precious rain forests and ecosystems deserve the world’s support to ensure they’re protected, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.

Speaking from Papua New Guinea where he visited the world’s third largest rainforest and sat down with civil society representatives, António Guterres highlighted the challenges brought about by climate change in the region.

It’s the first ever visit to the southwest Pacific nation by a sitting Secretary-General.

Earlier, he repeated his warning that the 1.5 degree limit on the rise in global temperatures agreed to under the 2015 Paris Agreement remains in jeopardy.

And although scientists say that it is still possible to limit global warming, the UN chief urged countries to unveil their new national climate plans to reduce emissions and “seize the opportunities” arising from the renewable energy revolution.

New Ebola outbreak declared in DR Congo

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Kasai province where 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths – including four health workers – have been reported as of Thursday.

The outbreak is concentrated in the Bulape and Mweka health zones in Kasai Province, in the south-central region of DRC. Symptoms of the rare – but severe – and often fatal illness, include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and haemorrhaging.

Samples tested on 3 September at the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research in the capital Kinshasa confirmed the cause of the outbreak as the Ebola Zaire strain.

Experts deployed

A national Rapid Response Team assisted by UN World Health Organization (WHO) experts in epidemiology, infection prevention and control – as well as case management – has been deployed to Kasai province.

Communication experts have also been deployed to reach communities and help them understand how to protect themselves.

Additionally, WHO is delivering two tonnes of supplies including personal protective equipment, mobile laboratory equipment and medical supplies.

The area is difficult to reach and at least a day’s drive from the provincial capital Tshikapa, with few air links.   

“We’re acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities,” said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

“Banking on the country’s long-standing expertise in controlling viral disease outbreaks, we’re working closely with the health authorities to quickly scale up key response measures to end the outbreak as soon as possible.”

Cases likely to rise

Case numbers are likely to increase as transmission is ongoing.

The country has a stockpile of treatments, as well as 2,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine already prepositioned in the capital city Kinshasa that will be quickly moved to Kasai to vaccinate contacts and frontline health workers.   

The DRC’s last outbreak affected the northwestern Equateur province in April 2022.

It was brought under control in under three months thanks to the robust efforts of the health authorities. In Kasai province, previous outbreaks of Ebola virus disease were reported in 2007 and 2008. In the country overall, there have been 15 outbreaks since the disease was first identified in 1976.

UN condemns attack on peacekeepers in South Sudan

The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, has condemned an attack by a local armed group which targeted “blue helmets” in Western Equatoria state.

The militants subsequently seized a small cache of weapons and ammunition. The incident occurred while peacekeepers were conducting a patrol between Tambura and Mapuse.

“We emphasise that any attack against peacekeepers may constitute a war crime,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at the daily press briefing in New York on Thursday.

“These peacekeepers are deployed to protect civilians at a time when access and security remain fragile across Western Equatoria,” he added.

Meanwhile, widespread flooding is also impacting hundreds of thousands of people in several parts of the world’s youngest nation, which became embroiled in civil war soon after gaining independence in 2011.

A fragile 2018 peace accord is in danger of unravelling amid fresh offensives and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

Flooding affects 270,000

Local reports suggest that over 270,000 people are affected by flooding in 12 counties across four states.

These areas were already grappling with floods, displacement, food security and cholera, said Mr. Dujarric, with farmland, homes and humanitarian facilities now submerged, disrupting access to education, health, nutrition and water services.

UN humanitarians say overcrowding at relocation sites has led to tensions among displaced families at the same time, reports of waterborne diseases and snake bites are increasing public health risks.

Peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have increased their presence and intensified vehicle patrols, navigating treacherous, rain-soaked routes both day and night.

World News in Brief: Pakistan floods, countries lag on climate reporting, concern over attack on peacekeepers in south Lebanon, cuts hit human rights investigations

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In a statement released by his Spokesperson, the UN chief noted that the disaster driven by severe monsoon conditions had been exacerbated by climate change, impacting around 1.5 million people.

Hundreds of thousands of people need humanitarian aid while more than 3,000 homes, over 400 schools and some 40 health facilities have suffered some level of damage.

Solidarity with the people

“The Secretary-General commends Pakistani authorities for relocating more than one million people in Punjab. He expresses his solidarity with the Government and people of Pakistan, extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives, and wishes a swift recovery to those who have been injured.”

The UN and other humanitarian organizations are working closely with the Pakistani authorities to assess the full impact of the floods on communities, identify further needs and also address any gaps in the response.

The UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has released $600,000 from the Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund for relief and recovery efforts, and discussions are underway with the Government on a specific response plan.

Dozens of countries lag on climate reporting, warns UN climate chief

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell has warned that 37 countries have yet to submit one or more mandatory reports under the Paris Agreement’s transparency framework, stressing that “no country can be left behind.”

Speaking at the Global Transparency Forum in Songdo, Republic of Korea, the UNFCCC chief said the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) is not just technical bookkeeping but “a vital enabling tool” for stronger climate action.

It helps governments attract investment, design more ambitious policies and accelerate progress on clean energy and resilience, he added.

‘Smart investment’

To date, more than 100 nations have submitted their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), which Mr Stiell called a “smart investment” bringing economic and social benefits.

Over 10,000 experts from 140 developing countries have received training on the ETF, with 1,200 certified reviewers and 1,400 officials now using its tools.

The first global synthesis of BTRs will be published ahead of November’s COP30 climate change conference in Brazil, offering an early snapshot of progress on mitigation, adaptation and support. Mr Stiell said the findings would guide the next Global Stocktake.

“What is measured can be acted upon. What is reported helps build trust. And what is shared becomes a force for change,” he stressed.

Lebanon: UN voices serious concern over Israeli attack on peacekeepers

The UN has expressed serious concern over an Israeli attack on peacekeepers clearing roadblocks in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

Briefing reporters in New York on Wednesday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Israeli military drones had dropped grenades in the vicinity of peacekeepers serving with the UN mission, UNIFIL, “who were carrying out mandated tasks in support of implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.”

That’s the resolution which authorises peacekeepers to monitor the cessation of hostilities agreement between Israel and Hezbollah of 2006 and support the Lebanese armed forces as Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon. UNIFIL patrols the Blue Line of separation.

In a statement on social media, UNIFIL described the drone attack as one of the most serious on its personnel since the cessation of hostilities agreement between the two sides last November. The mission stressed that Israeli forces had been informed in advance of the road clearance work.

Drones crossed into Israel

“One grenade impacted within 20 metres and three within approximately 100 metres of UN personnel and vehicles,” said the UN Spokesperson.

“The drones were then observed returning south of the Blue Line. Thankfully, none of our colleagues were injured.”

The Secretary-General stresses that any acts which endanger peacekeepers’ lives are “completely unacceptable”, Mr. Dujarric continued.

UN chief António Guterres is also demanding that the parties uphold their responsibilities “to ensure the safety and security of the peacekeepers and inviolability of UN premises.”

Funding cuts hampering the work of the Human Rights Council, says President

The Human Rights Council is set to meet on Monday in Geneva – an opportunity for UN Member States to discuss action to address conflicts around the world, as well as other issues of global importance, from climate change to disability rights.

Important as this work is, it’s feared that cost-cutting measures that are already affecting UN agencies and bodies like the Council could limit its reach, President Jürg Lauber told journalists on Wednesday.

This includes independent rights investigators known as Special Rapporteurs, he said: “When the Council decides to have an investigative mechanism or a special rapporteur or an issue, they need resources,” he said.

Research, travel impacted

“They need they get support from the Secretariat to do research, to write reports. They need to travel to a country to see the situation. There’s also less money available, which means they don’t get necessarily all the research and assistance they need to do their work,” he continued.

Mr. Lauber said it was “very clear” that dwindling financial resources were impacting meetings during Council sessions and the basic implementations of investigative mandates.

He added that the funding cuts could also prevent people or groups in countries of concern from sharing their testimonies with investigators.

And he noted that reduced funding could also limit how much technical support and advice the Council is able to give to governments seeking to promote and protect human rights.

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Peacekeepers find weapons trove in southern Lebanon, as drought threatens millions

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On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) discovered rocket launchers, rocket shells, mortar rounds, bomb fuses and a tunnel containing munitions in separate incidents in Sectors East and West, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

All finds were referred to the Lebanese Armed Forces in line with standard procedure.

UNIFIL also observed continued Israel Defense Forces activity, including an airstrike in Sector West and artillery fire from south of the Blue Line – which separates Israeli and Lebanese armed forces – into Sector East.

To strengthen Lebanese military capacity, the mission has been training personnel in surveying and removing explosive devices, securing contaminated sites and navigating mined areas.

“Such training activities are crucial now as the Lebanese Armed Forces engages daily in identifying and securing areas contaminated with unexploded ordnances and explosive remnants of war,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Complex operational space

Southern Lebanon remains a challenging operational environment, where UNIFIL works to implement Security Council resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

The Mission’s mandate includes monitoring the cessation of hostilities, supporting the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in the south, and helping to ensure that the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River remains free of unauthorized weapons.

The region has experienced recurring tensions, including a sharp escalation last year marked by numerous Israeli airstrikes and ground operations. These incidents have affected local communities and resulted in damage to several UN positions, and injuries to several ‘blue helmets’ serving with UNIFIL.

Unprecedented water crisis

Lebanon’s largest reservoir, Lake Qaraoun, has dropped to its lowest level on record, the Litani River National Authority said.

Inflows during this year’s wet season reached just 45 million cubic metres – compared to an annual average of 350 million – following months of low rainfall and an intense heat wave.

The decline comes amid a wider nationwide emergency.

In early July, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-led water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) group reported that rainfall had fallen by more than half in many regions along with decreased snow-melt, and several reservoirs and aquifers had dried up.

A water pumping station in southwest Lebanon damaged during the recent conflict.

Health risks rising

The drought is affecting all sectors, from agriculture and healthcare to education and local governance. An estimated 1.85 million people live in areas highly vulnerable to drought, with more than 44 per cent of the population dependent on costly and often unsafe water trucking services.

The severe strain on public water systems have been compounded by damaged infrastructure stemming from the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and electricity shortages.

Health risks are rising, particularly in overcrowded settlements with poor sanitation, where residents may resort to unsafe water sources, heightening the threat of waterborne disease outbreaks, the WASH cluster warned.

Food security worries

The drought has also caused a sharp decline in food production and increased reliance on expensive imports, deepening food insecurity.

Wildfire risks are also mounting due to prolonged dry conditions.

The WASH cluster warned that without urgent international support to restore water systems and protect vulnerable communities, the crisis could further destabilize an already fragile nation.

World News in Brief: Remembering Dr. David Nabarro, deadly shipwreck off Libya, verdict in peacekeeper’s killing

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The British physician and champion for global public health died this past weekend at the age of 75. 

He was the World Health Organization’s (WHO) special envoy dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

Legacy of service

“The Secretary-General pays tribute to Dr. Nabarro’s extraordinary legacy of service and reaffirms his commitment to advancing the principles he championed: solidarity, science and health for all,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Tuesday in New York.

Dr. Nabarro was remembered as “a tireless advocate for global health, a leader who brought clarity, compassion and conviction to some of the world’s most complex health emergencies, from AIDS and malaria to avian influenza and the COVID-19 pandemic.”

He also served as the Special Representative of former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on food security and nutrition and headed the UN High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis. 

Also paying tribute was WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He called Dr. Nabarro a “great champion of global health” whose work impacted so many lives across the world.

Libya: Migration agency offers support in the wake of deadly shipwreck

At least 18 migrants died following a shipwreck off the coast of Tobruk, Libya, this past weekend, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Tuesday.

Fifty people are still missing, and 10 survivors are accounted for so far.

“This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the deadly risks people are forced to take in search of safety and opportunity,” IOM said in a statement.

The UN agency noted that “Libya remains a major transit point for migrants and refugees, many of whom face exploitation, abuse and life-threatening journeys.”

Meanwhile, IOM teams on the ground are coordinating with local partners to provide support where possible.

“We reiterate our call for enhanced regional cooperation to expand access to safe, regular and dignified migration pathways,” the statement concluded.

Blue helmets and bulletproof vests belonging to peacekeepers serving with United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Lebanon: Verdict handed down in trial into 2022 killing of Irish peacekeeper 

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has welcomed the conclusion of the trial into the killing of Irish peacekeeper Private Seán Rooney nearly three years ago.

Lebanon’s Permanent Military Court on Monday found six of the individuals charged with the killing guilty while another was acquitted, according to a statement from the mission.

“UNIFIL welcomes the conclusion of the trial process and the Government of Lebanon’s commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice,” it said.

Private Rooney, 24, was shot and killed on 14 December 2022 in an incident in Al-Aqbieh, just outside UNIFIL’s area of operations in south Lebanon. Three other “Blue Helmets” were injured.

Since the attack, UNIFIL has extended its full support to both Lebanese and Irish authorities with their respective judicial proceedings, the statement said.

The mission once again offered deepest condolences to Private Rooney’s family, friends and colleagues as well as the Government of Ireland. 

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Guterres condemns deadly attack on peacekeepers in Central African Republic

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The ambush took place on Friday along the Birao-Am Dafock axis in the volatile Vakaga Prefecture, in northeastern CAR, close to the border with conflict-hit Sudan.

According to the stabilization mission, MINUSCA, the patrol was targeted by “unidentified armed elements” in the locality of Am-Sissia.

Attack may be a war crime

In a statement released by his Spokesperson on Sunday, Secretary-General António Guterres extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved families, as well as to the Government and people of Zambia, and wished a swift recovery to the injured soldier.

He stressed that attacks against UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law and urged the Central African authorities “to spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators of this tragedy so that they can be brought to justice swiftly”.

This marks the third fatal attack against MINUSCA peacekeeping patrols since the start of 2025.

In March, a Kenyan peacekeeper was killed in the Haut-Mbomou prefecture, and a month earlier, a Tunisian ‘blue helmet’ lost his life in the north. Earlier this week, two Nepalese peacekeepers were injured during an assault in the southwest.

Valentine Rugwabiza, head of the UN mission, decried the “multiplication of attacks against peacekeepers” and echoed the call for justice, urging the authorities to act decisively against those responsible.

Since its deployment in 2014, MINUSCA has suffered significant losses, with around 150 peacekeepers paying the ultimate price.

The 17,000-strong force was established to help stabilise CAR, a country wracked by decades of political instability, armed conflict, and humanitarian crises.

According to a February report by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), worsening insecurity across parts of the country has forced MINUSCA to step up patrols in several regions, including areas near the border with Sudan where violence and displacement have surged in recent months amid the brutal civil war between rival militaries there.

The Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN’s solidarity with the people and Government of CAR, underlining the world body’s continued commitment to peace and stability in the region.

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UN honours service and sacrifice of its peacekeepers

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The first UN peacekeeping operation was established in 1948 and today more than 68,000 civilian, military, and police personnel are posted at 11 missions in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

The Day pays tribute to their unwavering service and sacrifice while honouring the more than 4,400 blue helmets who have died in the line of duty over the past 77 years – 57 in 2024 alone.

This year’s theme focuses on the future of peacekeeping and UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that “peacekeepers face increasingly complex situations in an increasingly complex world.”

Deadly misinformation

He highlighted growing polarization and division across the globe, threats such as terrorism and deadly misinformation targeting peacekeepers, as well as challenges that transcend borders ranging from climate change to transnational crime.

“Now more than ever, the world needs the United Nations – and the United Nations needs peacekeeping that is fully equipped for today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges,” he said.

The Secretary-General stressed that “it is essential that peacekeepers have what they need to do their jobs” and “this is the shared responsibility of the United Nations and Member States.”

The commemoration at UN Headquarters in New York includes a wreath-laying ceremony as well as the presentation of awards to two outstanding women peacekeepers whose work helps to advance gender equality in the field. 

Listen to our interview with Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana, the 2024 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year.

‘A very rewarding job’

Meanwhile, peacekeepers have been sharing what it means to serve under the UN flag.

“It’s a very rewarding job because you really do have a lot of contact with the civilian population and their concerns, their culture, their needs,” said Lieutenant Colonel Agustín García from Spain, deployed at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The mission was established in 1978 to confirm Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon and its mandate was most recently defined in a 2006 Security Council resolution which called for a full cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel following their 34-day war on Lebanese territory that year.

Despite conflict between the sides last year, UNIFIL remains on the ground, supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in its efforts to restore government authority in the south and providing vital assistance to local communities including security, humanitarian aid and reconstruction of schools and hospitals.

More to follow on this story.

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‘We are women like you’: UN honours peacekeepers for work in gender empowerment

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There, alongside civilian gender units, Ms. Syme met a group of local community members – both men and women. Partway through, she realised something was different.

“The women were not talking,” she told UN News. “They were very quiet.”

Then she remembered that local cultural norms dictated women do not speak in public.

“We are women like you. We want to be able to help, but we don’t know how we can help you,” she told them in a separate meeting. “Can you please tell us what your problem is so we can see how we can help?”

It is for this sort of work founded in community trust building and a relentless belief in the importance of gender perspectives and empowerment in peacekeeping, that the UN will honour two exceptional women peacekeepers on Thursday as part of International Peacekeepers’ Day.

Ms. Syme is this year’s winner of the UN Military Gender Advocate of 2024 Award.

“[Ms. Syme’s] dedication has not only improved the effectiveness of UNISFA’s operations but also ensured that the mission is more reflective of and responsive to the communities it serves,” said Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

The other honouree is Chief Superintendent Zainab Mbalu Gbla of Sierra Leone who has been named Woman Police Officer of the year for her work with UNISFA.

“Chief Superintendent Gbla embodies the work of the United Nations to improve lives and shape futures,” said Mr. Lacroix.

Gender and peacekeeping

The UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award was established in 2011 and the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was first presented five years later.

Both awards recognize peacekeepers whose work has substantially advanced the integration of gender perspectives and empowerment into peacekeeping.

In 2000, the Security Council passed a resolution which affirmed the essential role women play in peacebuilding, peacekeeping and humanitarian responses. Since then, the United Nations has worked to fully integrate gender perspectives into peacekeeping.

According to Ms. Syme, applying gender perspectives should be a “daily task” for all peacekeepers.

“We need to understand the gender dynamics within our area of operation, otherwise, we might not be able to have the right intervention, we might not be able to carry out the right activities,” she said.

Intergenerational legacy

Ms. Gbla experienced the impact of peacekeeping herself as a civilian in Sierra Leone in the wake of a war that ravaged her country.

“I saw people coming from different parts of the world just to bring peace to my country… That’s why I told myself that one day I’d love to be a peacekeeper – to help other people, to return the favour,” Ms. Gbla told UN News.

As a UNISFA gender officer, not only did she create a school programme and female mentorship network where none had existed before, she also worked diligently to ensure that learning was fun, incorporating performing arts and visual aids.

“[The women of Abyei] are ready to work, they are ready to do things for themselves if peace allows them. The children are ready to go to school, if peace allows them,” she said.

A health campaign in Abyei

Ms. Syme’s meeting with the women of Sector North was the beginning of an enormously successful health campaign in the region which discussed harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation, the two issues which the community women had identified.

The campaign engaged both men and women, and Ms. Syme said that she was deeply impressed and moved by the response of the male leaders who, through the campaign, realized the harm that practices of child marriage and female genital mutilation had caused.

“[The leaders] promised that they are going to revise these cultural practices so that going forward, they will not do it again,” Ms. Syme said.

This campaign happened in June 2024 and has driven Ms. Syme’s work since then, work which includes training over 1,500 UNISFA officials in gender-responsive peacekeeping.

“It has motivated me,” Ms. Syme said. “It has motivated me a lot.”

The future of peacekeeping through gender

Both Ms. Syme and Ms. Gbla will receive their awards on International Peacekeeping Day. This year, Member States and UN officials will be asked to consider the future of peacekeeping.

For both Ms. Syme and Ms. Gbla, the future of peacekeeping and security cannot be disentangled from gender perspectives and empowerment.

“If you don’t know the gender dynamics of the area, if you don’t know who is in charge, if you don’t know what will benefit who…you may think you are providing security, but you are not really providing security,” Ms. Syme said.

Ms. Gbla, in discussing her award, paid homage to all the women who wear a UN uniform, underlining their tireless work in the pursuit of peace.

“Each of us [women] faces unique challenges in our respective missions, yet our collective goal remains the same – to foster peace and protect the vulnerable.”

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