UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attend a press conference during the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial, an international conference on peacekeeping missions, in Berlin, Germany May 14, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
India, one of the largest troop contributors to United Nations Peace Keeping (UNPK) missions, has pledged one Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Company, one male armed police (Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)) or mixed armed police (CRPF), one Women-led Formed Police Unit, one Counter-Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit IED/EOD Unit, one K9 Unit, and a SWAT Police Unit; ahead of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial that concluded in Berlin on May 14.
In addition to uniformed capabilities, India has also pledged peacekeeping training, capacity building, and partnerships which include “a UN pre-deployment training of trainers course; a UN military observers course; a UN contingent commanders course, a UN female military officers course and international courses by UNCIVPOL (UN Civilian Police Component) Centre,” according to a list of commitments made by various countries put up on the UNPK website as of May 14, which are yet to be confirmed by member states. India has offered training for a long time, and has also teamed up with the U.S. to offer peacekeeping training to African countries.
The two-day UNPK Ministerial 2025 in Berlin saw the participation of more than 130 member states and international partners – over a thousand participants in total, who came together to reaffirm their support for UN peacekeeping and to announce concrete pledges aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and adaptability of peace operations in the face of evolving global challenges, the Department of UNPK said in a statement. “The Ministerial focused on the Future of Peacekeeping, reflecting the need for innovative approaches to address complex conflicts, leverage emerging technologies, and address threats such as mis- and disinformation.”
Germany’s contribution
Germany pledged contributions worth €82 million to UN Peacekeeping. “In addition, we will continue our support to missions and partners with training and equipment,” German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said. “Our goal was to focus on new and innovative pledges, ranging from renewable energy technologies to medical transport drones to the protection from improvised explosive devices. We remain committed to supporting the three UN Peacekeeping Missions that the German Armed Forces currently deploy to in South Sudan, Lebanon and Western Sahara.”
In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that in trouble spots around the world, Blue Helmets can mean the difference between life and death. “Now more than ever, the world needs the UN. And the UN needs peacekeeping that is fully equipped for today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges.”
Welcoming statements of support for peacekeeping as well as their pledges of military and police capabilities from member states, the UNSG added, “This meeting is also about something more fundamental: the future of peacekeeping itself.”
Key outcomes
Among the key outcomes, a total of 74 member states made pledges including pledges of military and police units. 53 member states pledged uniformed capabilities, including 88 military and police units, as well as various critical capabilities, airlift, individual experts, staff officers and individual police officers.
59 member states pledged specialized trainings on critical issues such as peacekeeping-intelligence, protection of civilians, gender and the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
Further, 18 member states made pledges related to technological advancements and data-driven approaches to improve mission effectiveness and 38 member states made pledges to further implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda, including gender-responsive peacekeeping and women in peacekeeping.
Presently, there are over 61,000 military and police peacekeepers from 119 countries and more than seven thousand civilian personnel serve across 11 Peacekeeping Missions. As per UNPK data, India is currently the fourth largest troop contributing nation with 5375 personnel after Nepal (5951), Rwanda (5897) and Bangladesh (5677).
The Berlin Ministerial is the latest in a series of high-level meetings aimed at galvanizing political support and generating tangible commitments to improve UN Peacekeeping, the statement added. It follows previous Ministerial meetings held in Accra (2023), Seoul (2021), New York (2019), Vancouver (2017) and London (2016). The 2025 Ministerial also coincides with the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and the 10-year anniversary of the Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping.
Published – May 17, 2025 10:44 pm IST
