Pakistan Warns UN Cash Crisis Threatens Global Peacekeeping Missions

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has issued a warning that the UN’s cash crisis is directly compromising peacekeeping efforts by decreasing field presence, patrols, and mobility, with grave repercussions for both UN staff safety and civilian protection.

Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, said in a statement on Friday that the lack of funding was “affecting mandate delivery, deterrence against violence, and the overall effectiveness of missions in the field.”

He emphasized during his remarks at the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations’ opening that although UN peacekeeping “is facing mounting political, operational, and financial pressures that require collective reflection and action,” it is still a vital tool for preserving world peace and security.

The warning was issued as worries about the global organization’s financial stability grew. The New York Times stated in late January that if member states did not pay their assessed contributions, the UN would face an “imminent financial collapse” and could run out of money by July.

According to the report, almost 95% of the arrears payable to the UN’s regular budget are attributed to the United States. Currently, the United States owes the UN more than $2.2 billion.

Only a minor fraction of Washington’s outstanding debt was recently settled. According to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, the Trump administration contributed $160 million last week, the first since he took office, as a partial payment towards arrears to the UN’s regular budget.

According to Ambassador Ahmad, UN peacekeeping’s largest difficulty today is stable financing, which was once one of its main advantages. This is because of contingency measures that force both uniformed and civilian staff throughout operations to be reduced.

He called for a thorough and organized examination of the financial framework supporting UN peacekeeping to guarantee funding that is sustainable and in line with mandated tasks, and he called for Security Council mandates to be met with corresponding and predictable resources.

The 182 Pakistani peacekeepers who died while serving under the UN banner were honored by the Pakistani envoy.

He pointed out that despite growing global instability and the worst levels of war since World War II, no new UN peacekeeping operation has been launched for over ten years, despite the fact that a number of operations have transitioned or drawn down in recent years.

He claimed that the increased dependence on ad hoc and non-UN arrangements was a reflection of the ongoing need for peacekeeping. “Resolve and collective political will are the key challenges, not relevance,” he continued.

Ambassador Ahmad issued a warning that the ability of nations that contribute troops to maintain forces designated for UN deployment, including standby arrangements, rapid-deployment capabilities, and specialized units, may also be impacted if financial commitments continue to fall and missions continue to shrink without clear strategic direction.