Denmark, Pakistan urge global action against violence targeting UN peacekeepers

Denmark and Pakistan have submitted a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to the widespread impunity enjoyed by those responsible for attacks on UN peacekeepers.

The proposal is expected to be put to a vote shortly, Seen by Arab News, the draft directly addresses what it describes as a long-standing accountability gap that has “undermined the safety and security” of UN personnel deployed in some of the world’s most volatile conflict zones.

The text notes that prosecution rates for crimes against peacekeepers “have remained very low,” despite repeated incidents of violence targeting UN missions.

The move comes amid a renewed wave of attacks on peacekeepers. Since the latest escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in early March, seven personnel serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon have been killed. On Thursday, two Malaysian peacekeepers were also lightly injured when a vehicle was hit by flying glass during an airstrike near a UN position in Tibnin.

Denmark and Pakistan, both elected members of the Security Council, have made peacekeeping a central focus of their current two-year term. Alongside South Korea, they have formed an informal “peacekeeping trio” aimed at revitalising international attention on UN field operations and their safety.

At the core of the resolution is a demand for stronger accountability mechanisms. It calls on host states to take primary responsibility for investigating and prosecuting those behind attacks on peacekeepers, and urges all relevant parties to cooperate fully with the UN to ensure the swift identification and prosecution of perpetrators.

The draft further states that host countries must take “all necessary measures” in line with international humanitarian and human rights law.

It also highlights a structural gap that has long frustrated troop-contributing nations: the absence of a dedicated UN mechanism to systematically pursue accountability in such cases. To address this, the resolution proposes appointing a senior focal point within the UN system to improve coordination, and encourages countries to deploy trained investigators to assist host states where peacekeepers have been targeted.

The language of the draft reflects growing concern over the changing nature of threats faced by “blue helmets,” noting an increase in the “number, scope and sophistication” of attacks. These include shelling, improvised explosive devices and unmanned aerial systems, particularly in missions across Africa and the Middle East.

The resolution also warns that the Security Council may consider further steps if progress is not made.

Since 2013, at least 251 peacekeepers have been killed in malicious attacks in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mali alone—accounting for around 80% of such deaths globally. Very few perpetrators have been brought to justice.