© MONUSCO Peacekeepers from Tanzania in the jungles of the DRC. New Security Council resolution aims to bring accountability for attacks on UN peacekeepers Peace and Security
The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for accountability for crimes against UN peacekeepers.
Resolution 2823 (2026) calls on all interested parties to cooperate with the UN to promptly establish the facts, investigate and prosecute those responsible.
The text of the resolution was prepared and submitted to the Security Council by Denmark and Pakistan, two non-permanent members of the Council, and received support from more than 150 countries. On behalf of the two co-authors, the project was presented by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad. He recalled that almost 4,500 Blue Helmets, including 183 peacekeepers from Pakistan, have died in the line of duty.
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad noted that the document builds on two previous resolutions, which increased the Council’s attention to the safety of peacekeepers. According to him, in many missions today the number of attacks on peacekeepers is growing, and the perpetrators often manage to escape accountability.
“When peacekeepers are killed or injured while carrying out missions authorized by this Council, the Security Council must closely monitor what happens next: whether the facts are established, whether investigations are ongoing, whether those responsible are identified and whether justice is ensured,” the Pakistani diplomat said. “Impunity for such crimes should not become the norm.”
Support for investigations
The resolution calls on the UN Secretary-General to ensure that in the event of future attacks, peacekeeping missions promptly record the facts of the incidents and transfer them to host states for investigation. The UN chief is also requested to appoint a senior focal point for accountability for crimes against peacekeepers to strengthen coordination and capacity to address this issue.
In addition, the Secretary-General is required to submit an annual report to the Security Council on the progress of cases involving killings or acts of violence committed against peacekeepers, the first of which is due within 120 days.
“Strong and important signal”
Unanimous support for the resolution “sends a strong and important signal,” Danish Ambassador to the UN Christina Marcus Lassen said after the vote. She said it was a sign that the Security Council stood firmly behind the 50,000 UN peacekeeping personnel around the world. And for countries sending military and police personnel, it sends a signal of confidence that if any crime is committed against peacekeepers, the Security Council and the UN system are “ready and able to intervene,” she added.