Germany to host UN peacekeeping ministerial in May as officials seek pledges, reforms and cost efficiencies

Germany will host a United Nations peacekeeping ministerial in Berlin in May, bringing foreign and defense ministers and other senior officials together to solicit pledges and discuss reforms to strengthen UN peacekeeping operations.

At a UN briefing, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said the meeting is a “unique opportunity” to display support for peacekeeping and to work with member states to adapt operations to rising and changing threats. "Every single day, they protect hundreds of thousands of people, sometime very often actually making a difference between life and death for these civilians," Lacroix said.

The gathering, organized by Germany with UN support, aims to secure substantive pledges that close capability gaps and to launch discussions on cost efficiency, operational resilience, and other reforms. State Secretary Niels Hilmer of Germany's Federal Ministry of Defense said organizers expect "approximately 1,000 guests, many delegations being led by foreign and or defense ministers," and described the event as combining pledging with interactive sessions and an exhibition of peacekeeping capabilities.