The Security Council unanimously demands accountability for attacks on UN blue helmets

The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2823 (2026) on Tuesday, calling for accountability for crimes committed against UN peacekeepers. The text was put forward by Denmark and Pakistan, two of the Council’s non-permanent members, and was supported by more than 150 countries.

Pakistani Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad recalled that nearly 4,500 UN blue helmets have lost their lives in the line of duty, including 183 from Pakistan. Attacks against peacekeepers, he said, have increased in number and sophistication across several missions, often with little accountability. “Impunity for such crimes cannot be allowed to fester,” he said. “There must be accountability.”

The resolution requests the UN Secretary-General to ensure that in the event of future attacks, peacekeeping operations will promptly establish clear factual records of incidents and make them available for investigations by host countries. It calls on all relevant states and actors to cooperate fully with such investigations. The Secretary-General is also asked to designate a senior focal point on accountability for crimes against peacekeepers and to submit an annual report to the Council on the status of causes related to killings and acts of violence, with the first due within 120 days.

Danish Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen said the unanimous support sent a strong message to the more than 50,000 personnel currently serving in UN peacekeeping missions across the globe, assuring them that the Security Council stands firmly behind them. For perpetrators, she said, it sends a firm message that the international community is watching, that crimes will not go unpunished, and that accountability and justice will be pursued and upheld.

Central African Republic: Progress Preserved, But Fragile

UN Special Representative Valentine Rugwabiza told the Security Council on Tuesday that the Central African Republic has made remarkable and tangible progress towards lasting peace and security in recent years, but that security remains fragile in several border areas, including those bordering war-torn Sudan. She highlighted progress in implementing political and peace processes, the extension of state authority and historic elections held in December. In April, the country successfully held a second round of legislative, regional and municipal elections in a country where votes have too often been associated with tensions and cycles of violence. She noted, however, renewed armed activity along the border in the northeast, including cross-border incursions targeting civilians in Vakaga prefecture, and continued attacks by the AAKG militia in the southeast. MINUSCA, the UN mission in the country, is reconfiguring towards more mobile operations, a transition whose success depends heavily on-air assets given the country’s limited infrastructure and the constraints imposed by the rainy season.