Pakistan warns UN liquidity crisis undermining peacekeeping operations

NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has warned that deepening financial constraints are directly undermining UN peacekeeping operations, echoing stark warnings issued by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Speaking at the opening of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, Ambassador Iftikhar said the liquidity crisis was affecting mandate delivery, protection of civilians, deterrence against violence and the safety of peacekeepers.

“UN peacekeeping remains an indispensable instrument for maintaining international peace and security but is facing growing political, operational and financial pressures that require collective action,” he said.

Earlier this month, Guterres cautioned that the world body could face “imminent financial collapse” unless member states pay their assessed contributions in full and on time or reform budgetary rules that require the UN to return unspent funds even when it lacks sufficient cash flow.

By the end of 2025, the UN had recorded a historic $1.57 billion in unpaid dues—a shortfall that threatens programme delivery and peace operations worldwide.

Without naming any country, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed that the organisation’s cash-flow crisis could be resolved if member states met their financial obligations.

The crunch comes amid broader geopolitical shifts, including the launch of a “Board of Peace” initiative by US President Donald Trump, a move some observers fear could sideline the UN’s central role in global peace and security.

Ambassador Iftikhar underscored Pakistan’s longstanding contribution to UN peacekeeping, noting that the country hosts one of the organisation’s oldest missions, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).

He said Pakistan has been among the largest and longest-serving troop contributors for over six decades, with more than 250,000 Pakistani peacekeepers having served in 48 missions across four continents.

Paying tribute to the 182 Pakistani peacekeepers who lost their lives under the UN flag, he emphasised that declining financial commitments and the scaling down of missions without clear strategic direction could undermine the readiness of troop-contributing countries — affecting standby arrangements, rapid deployment capacity and specialised units.

The ambassador called for reforms to make peacekeeping more agile, focused and better equipped to address evolving threats, including through technology and strengthened partnerships. He stressed that protection of civilians, deterrence against violations, and ceasefire monitoring and verification remain core tasks.

He cautioned that the absence of political progress in conflict zones should not be used as a pretext to withdraw missions.

Guterres has meanwhile launched a reform initiative, UN80, aimed at cutting costs and improving efficiency. The approved 2026 regular budget is roughly $200 million higher than his proposal but about 7 per cent lower than the 2025 approved budget.

In a recent letter, the UN chief warned that the organisation could run out of cash by July and criticised what he termed a “Kafkaesque” requirement to credit back hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent dues to member states each year—even if the funds were never received—describing the practice as “a race to bankruptcy.”

As financial pressures mount and humanitarian needs rise globally, UN officials are urging member states to honour their commitments to prevent further strain on peacekeeping and essential international programmes.