The number of global peacekeeping personnel has fallen to a 25-year low.

Reference News Network reported on May 27 According to a report from the U.S. Defense News Weekly website on May 25, a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that the number of military personnel participating in global peacekeeping operations will drop to its lowest level in at least 25 years by 2025; geopolitical tensions and funding shortages are threatening the sustainability of multilateral peacekeeping operations.

The report released by the institute on the 25th states that as of the end of December 2025, the total number of international personnel deployed in global peacekeeping operations is 78,633, a decrease of 17% compared to the same period last year and a sharp decline of 49% compared to the end of 2016.

SIPRI points out that the main reason for the reduction in peacekeeping personnel is the United Nations funding crisis—major donor countries are in arrears or have not paid their assessed contributions. Researchers say this has directly led to a sharp reduction in peacekeeping funding, forcing several large peacekeeping operations to cut personnel.

Yair Van Der Leeuw, director of the institute's Peace Operations and Conflict Management Program, said: “If the current trend continues, funding, political, and geopolitical factors will create a perfect storm, drastically weakening multilateral conflict management capabilities, and institutions like the United Nations may be completely marginalized. This will lead to more conflicts. Moreover, as countries abandon long-established international norms, the harm to civilians will become even more severe.”

SIPRI states that multilateral conflict management and peacekeeping operations are facing severe pressure. Russia's involvement in conflicts in Africa undermines local security governance, while the U.S. under the Trump administration has weakened multilateralism.

The report shows that the U.S. will take “significant actions” in 2025, withdrawing, cutting supplies, or questioning multiple UN agencies, including seeking to terminate the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and other peacekeeping missions.

SIPRI states that by early July 2025, the UN peacekeeping budget shortfall will reach $2 billion; the budget approved by the UN General Assembly for the 2025-2026 fiscal year has been cut to $5.38 billion, the lowest in at least a decade.

In 2025, the United Nations remains the main organizer of multilateral peacekeeping operations, leading 18 operations, accounting for 67% of the total deployed personnel; however, most peacekeeping missions are led by regional organizations or alliances, totaling 34.

Claudia Cruz, a senior researcher in the Peace Operations and Conflict Management Program, stated that regional organizations lack the key capabilities to conduct effective comprehensive peacekeeping operations and are also plagued by funding shortages and decision-making deadlocks. The UN's ability to manage conflicts is continuously weakening, and the governance gap created by this is expanding, with existing alternative mechanisms unable to fill it.

SIPRI data shows that last year, peacekeeping personnel deployed in sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 70%, the Middle East and North Africa accounted for 15%, and Europe accounted for 12%. The Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan are the two largest multilateral peacekeeping missions in 2025.

Data indicates that the top ten countries sending military and police personnel to participate in multilateral peacekeeping operations are all Global South countries. The majority of peacekeeping personnel come from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with Uganda leading at 4,657 personnel, followed by Nepal, Bangladesh, and India, each sending over 4,000 personnel.

SIPRI states that the funding gap, budget cuts, and disagreements over the dissolution of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon by the end of December 2026 all reflect the continued weakening of the UN's role in conflict management. The agency points out that despite repeated violations of the 2024 ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, the U.S. still insists on the dissolution of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

The research institution noted in the report: “The funding shortfall has clearly accelerated the reduction of peacekeeping personnel, but it is not the only reason. The controversies surrounding the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon are enough to illustrate that as geopolitical differences intensify and negotiations in the Security Council become increasingly difficult, maintaining existing peacekeeping missions and promoting the establishment of new operations have become more challenging.” (Translated by Xu Yanhong)