Pakistan warns of increased dangers to blue helmets, calls for accountability and action

NEW YORK: Pakistan has called for urgent measures to ensure the safety of United Nations peacekeepers, warning that the growing use of unmanned aerial systems and other advanced devices by hostile actors has dramatically increased risks for personnel deployed in conflict zones.

Speaking at an event at UN Headquarters in New York on the “Safety and Security of UN Peacekeepers in the Context of Emerging Technologies,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, said peacekeeping environments are becoming increasingly complex, fluid, and lethal.

“Our response must therefore be equally adaptive, coherent, and collective,” he said, noting that the safety and security of peacekeepers has a critical human dimension for troop- and police-contributing countries.

Ambassador Asim Ahmad highlighted Pakistan’s own sacrifices, stating that 182 Pakistani peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag.

He expressed concern over rising attacks on peacekeepers in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UNIFIL operations along the “Blue Line” separating Lebanon and Israel, and other missions worldwide.

He warned that shrinking mission resources and reduced operational footprints make peacekeepers more exposed and increase vulnerabilities to hostile actors. Citing a recent drone attack in Kadugli that killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers, the envoy said new technologies are being increasingly used by non-State actors, complicating attribution and accountability.

“If attacks cannot be traced, deterrence is weakened. That is why accountability must remain central to our collective efforts,” he said. He added that emerging technologies pose a “double challenge”: they heighten threats but also provide tools to mitigate risks if deployed effectively.

Ambassador Asim Ahmad urged the UN and member states to adopt adaptive and coordinated strategies that balance technological advances with the safety, protection, and operational effectiveness of peacekeepers on the ground.