UN Security Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution to Ensure Justice for Crimes Against Peacekeepers
The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, authorizing new measures to ensure that perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers face justice. The resolution, sponsored by Pakistan and Denmark and co-sponsored by more than 150 countries, addresses the historically low rate of prosecutions for killings and other violent acts against UN peacekeeping personnel.
According to the UN peacekeeping department, nearly 1,100 peacekeepers from around the world have lost their lives in the line of duty since 1948, and thousands more have been injured. Yet the resolution notes that the rate of prosecution for such crimes “has remained very low,” highlighting a significant gap in accountability.
The resolution tasks Secretary-General António Guterres with ensuring that after future attacks, facts are collected and evidence is preserved to support investigations and prosecutions of all violent acts against peacekeepers. It aims to fill gaps in accountability mechanisms and send a strong signal of international resolve.
Denmark’s UN Ambassador Christina Lassen said the resolution sends a clear message to the more than 50,000 personnel serving in peacekeeping missions across regions including Lebanon, Cyprus, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic: “Attacks against them will not be met with silence or impunity.” She added, “To the perpetrators of any crimes, wherever and whoever they are, it sends a firm message that the international community is watching, that crimes will not go unpunished, that accountability and justice will be pursued and will be upheld.”
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Ahmad noted that attacks against peacekeepers in several countries have increased in number and sophistication, often with little accountability. “Condolences are necessary when peacekeepers are killed and injured, but what's needed is justice,” he said. “Most importantly, this resolution is a strong expression of the council’s political will to stand by the peacekeepers.”
The Security Council had previously adopted a resolution in 2021 aimed at strengthening accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. The UN peacekeeping department reported “significant progress” since then, including an increase in national investigations and the number of alleged perpetrators identified or detained. It highlighted 103 individuals convicted since 2020 for offenses related to the killing of 35 peacekeepers and two UN experts in the Central African Republic, Congo, Lebanon, and Mali.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric welcomed the council’s adoption of the resolution and acknowledged the actions taken since 2020 but stressed that “much more needs to be done.” The newly adopted resolution requests the secretary-general to provide options to the council within 120 days on ways to strengthen accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. Pakistan’s Ambassador Ahmad said this “will help the council assess what is working, where gaps remain, and what further action may be required.” Denmark’s Ambassador Lassen expressed that the council looks forward to considering the proposals and working together “to translate them into meaningful progress.”
