15.04.2026 Statement for Heads of Military ComponentS Briefing (HOMC) on UN Peacekeeping Operations

Checked Against Delivery 

Thank you, Madame President.

Let me begin by thanking Under-Secretary-General Lacroix for his briefing and by expressing our deep appreciation to the Force Commanders of MINUSCA and UNISFA for their service and leadership under exceptionally demanding conditions.

For decades, UN’s peacekeeping has helped contain conflict, protect civilians, support political processes, monitor ceasefires, and create space for peace to take root.

We have no doubt that UN peacekeeping remains one of the most effective tools available to this Council. Even if today’s peacekeeping missions are operating in environments that are more dangerous, and more complex than ever before.

Denmark pays tribute to all peacekeepers serving under the UN flag. To the military, police, and civilian personnel serving under immense pressure – and frankly too often with scarce resources – we commend your dedication and courage.

You deserve not only our gratitude, but also our full political support.

Madame President,

Last year, Denmark – together with Pakistan and The Republic of Korea – created the trio to highlight peace operations as a vital tool for the UN Security Council, and to promote effective, credible peace operations that are adapted to the realities on the ground. Together with Pakistan, we intend to deepen that collaboration this year.

Blue helmets together with civil components cannot carry peace processes on their own. They require political backing, realistic mandates, adequate resources, and host states that deliver on their obligations. Without these conditions, even the best mission leadership and the bravest personnel will struggle to deliver.

We have seen how restrictions and violations imposed by host authorities directly limit mobility, weaken implementation, and put peacekeepers at unnecessary risk. Host states must create the necessary conditions for missions to succeed.

Another important recognition is that missions, contexts and mandates differ. While peacekeeping must always remain context-specific, planning must become more integrated, coherent, and systematic.

Denmark, together with Austria, has therefore taken the initiative to promote stronger integrated mission-level planning across civilian, police, and military components. We are encouraged that 40 Member States have joined this effort. We look forward to working with all relevant actors to translate this into practical results that improve performance, accountability, and the safety and security of peacekeepers.

Madame. President, since we have with us today the Force Commanders of MINUSCA and UNISFA, allow me to highlight a few mission-specific points.

MINUSCA remains a mission of great importance. Denmark congratulates the Central African Republic on the holding of elections in December 2025. This was a significant moment, and MINUSCA’s contribution was essential.

Now, MINUSCA should increasingly focus on the future - consolidating progress through a forward-looking approach to transition, rooted in realistic conditions, institution-building, and national ownership. The people of the Central African Republic should be able to trust state institutions and be meaningfully included in the path ahead. Like all peacekeeping missions, MINUSCA must continue to evolve to meet the demands on the ground, including the challenges presented by the spill over of the Sudan conflict in the north.

Turning to UNISFA, another important peacekeeping operation charged with safeguarding civilians in the territory of Abyei. This mission illustrates clearly the potential to make better use of technology in peacekeeping.

In a context, where border monitoring remains central, capabilities such as satellite imagery and drones could significantly enhance situational awareness, extend monitoring reach and improve force protection in remote and contested areas. This is particularly relevant for the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism. When such tools are not fully utilised, missions are left to do more with less, under greater risk and with lower effectiveness.

In two different ways, MINUSCA and UNISFA show the clear value of peacekeeping operations as well as some of the dilemmas they may face.

Finally, Madame. President,

Denmark looks forward to receiving the Secretary-General’s Review on the Future of all forms of UN Peace Operations. But we must not focus only on what comes next. Peacekeeping is a promise – to the communities we are mandated to support, to those we send into harm’s way, and to the maintenance of international peace and security. That promise must be matched by our resolve here in the Security Council.

I thank you.