Tension and funding woes threaten peacekeeping missions, SIPRI warns
Geopolitical tensions and a funding crisis are jeopardising peacekeeping missions, especially UN-led ones, SIPRI says. Deployed international staff fell to about 79,000 at end-2025, the lowest in at least 25 years.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) warned that geopolitical tensions and a funding crisis are jeopardising peacekeeping missions, particularly those under the United Nations. According to the institute, deployed international staff fell to just under 79,000 at the end of 2025, the lowest figure in at least 25 years.
SIPRI said that if the trend continues, multilateral conflict management could weaken dramatically. A large share of peacekeeping operations are deployed in unstable regions across Africa.
The report stressed that declining state contributions and political disputes are limiting missions' capacity. Experts noted that shrinking funding and personnel could make it harder to protect communities affected by conflict.
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