By Manal El Warraky
The United Nations has praised Egypt’s ongoing contribution of 1,205 peacekeepers, including women, serving in five different missions across Africa. The UN highlighted that Egypt’s record of service and sacrifice is recognized and appreciated globally. This is reflected in Egypt’s re-election as Rapporteur of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and its recent election as a member of the UN Peacebuilding Commission. Additionally, Egypt has been selected as Co-Facilitator for the 2025 Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture in both the General Assembly and the Security Council.
The UN underscored that Egypt’s leadership in peacekeeping goes beyond mere troop contribution. Egypt plays a key role in shaping strategic thinking around peacekeeping reform. Through the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding (CCCPA)—an African center of excellence—Egypt has championed a context-sensitive, innovative, and inclusive approach to peace operations. The CCCPA focuses on prevention, civilian protection, regional partnerships, and enhancing women’s participation in peacekeeping in line with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
These remarks came in a joint opinion article by Ambassador Khaled El-Bakly, Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and International Security, and Ms. Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt. The article, published on Thursday, May 29, by the UN Information Center in Cairo to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, is titled: “Peacekeepers: Hope in the Midst of Conflict—It’s Time to Equip Them for Tomorrow’s Challenges.”
The piece notes that the UN is commemorating its 80th anniversary this year, with peacekeeping standing out as one of the most powerful expressions of multilateral international cooperation. For nearly eight decades, the efforts and sacrifices of Blue Helmets have saved lives, transformed communities, and supported countries transitioning from war to peace.
Today, more than 76,000 military, police, and civilian personnel serve in 11 missions globally—from Cyprus to Lebanon, the Central African Republic to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These brave men and women provide vital lifelines to millions living in some of the world’s most fragile political and security contexts.
However, given growing pressures, it is essential to rethink the role of peacekeeping within the broader peace and security architecture. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was right in emphasizing that “peacekeeping is a vital tool for the international community, but it should not be seen as the sole means of preserving peace.” He added that peacekeeping “cannot replace preventive diplomacy, mediation, peacebuilding, or the necessary political, economic, and social measures to address root causes and heal societal rifts.” President El-Sisi stressed that “peacekeeping must not be the automatic or immediate response to every crisis.”
This year’s theme for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers—“Peace Begins with Me: The Future of Peacekeeping”—could not be more timely. Peacekeepers today face unprecedented and escalating threats. Conflicts have grown more protracted, deadly, and complex. They increasingly transcend national borders and are compounded by terrorism, organized crime, cyber warfare, disinformation, and advanced technologies. Climate change deepens instability in already fragile regions. Meanwhile, divisions within the Security Council have made consensus more elusive, slowing action at a time when urgency is critical.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres put it starkly: “There is a lack of trust—within and between countries and regions… a grim diagnosis, but one we must confront.” One of the most pressing issues is the growing gap between peacekeeping mandates and the resources available to fulfill them. This undermines the effectiveness of operations and often leaves peacekeepers in situations “where there is little or no peace to keep.”
Egypt and the United Nations emphasized that the Pact for the Future, adopted at the 2024 Summit of the Future, provides a vital opportunity for reflection and reform. It confirms that peace operations can only succeed with political will and comprehensive strategies that tackle root causes. It also rightly underscores the need for adequate, sustainable, and predictable funding for peacekeeping missions.
The Pact authorizes a comprehensive review of UN peace operations—an opportunity to rethink and reform the peacekeeping model. Today’s dangerous global landscape demands that missions be equipped with the right tools, partnerships, and strategies to protect civilians and support peacebuilding effectively.
As Egypt celebrates 65 years of active participation in UN peacekeeping operations, it continues to demonstrate a strong, sustained, and principled commitment to the UN Charter. Since its first contribution in the Congo in 1960, Egypt has deployed over 30,000 peacekeepers to 37 missions across 24 countries, ranking among the top troop-contributing countries.
Egypt’s leadership in peacekeeping extends far beyond personnel deployment. It shapes global strategic thinking on peace operations reform. Through the CCCPA, Egypt promotes context-sensitive and inclusive peace operations. The Center also champions regional partnerships and enhanced female participation, aligned with the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda.
Through the annual Aswan Forum, hosted by the CCCPA, Egypt continues to support African solutions and strengthens the synergy between peacekeeping and peacebuilding. This work—carried out in close collaboration with the UN in Egypt—stands as a strong example of South-South cooperation and the value of regional solutions. Egypt also contributes significantly to training African and international peacekeepers via its Ministry of Interior’s Peacekeeping Training Center and the Ministry of Defense’s liaison unit with international organizations.
Egypt is a firm supporter of the UN Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative. In 2018, Egypt hosted a landmark high-level conference to enhance the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations. That event led to the “Cairo Roadmap for Peacekeeping,” a foundational framework of shared commitments later adopted by the African Union in 2020.
This year, as the UN remembers the 4,430 peacekeepers who have died in service, Egypt and the UN stress the importance of honoring their sacrifice by upholding the principles they died for. Over 60 Egyptian peacekeepers have lost their lives in UN operations worldwide—a solemn reminder of the growing risks peacekeepers face and our collective duty to ensure they are never left without the tools they need.
Egypt reaffirmed its strong commitment to advancing UN peacekeeping at the recent 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference held in Berlin this May. Egypt pledged to deploy peacekeepers and highly trained officers, provide specialized capabilities, and enhance training with international partners. Egypt also emphasized leveraging modern technologies to improve operational efficiency, applying lessons from regional transitions, and achieving gender parity—aiming to surpass the UN’s targets for women’s participation in uniformed roles.
Amid regional instability and ongoing global challenges, Egypt stands as a steadfast and reliable partner for international peace and security. Moreover, Egypt expressed readiness to support the UN’s UN80 Initiative, offering to host UN agencies, programs, and offices seeking relocation under the initiative—a gesture met with appreciation.
Egypt’s strategic location—at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East—makes it a natural hub for coordination and cooperation. Its central time zone, proximity to crisis regions, and access to the Red Sea and Mediterranean through the Suez Canal contribute to cost savings, quicker deployment, and operational efficiency. With modern infrastructure, strong safety records, and over 140 embassies represented in Cairo—including the headquarters of the League of Arab States—Egypt remains a geopolitical center with a strong UN presence.
As Secretary-General Guterres has said, “The world needs the United Nations more than ever—and the UN needs to be fully equipped to meet today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges.” With renewed multilateral resolve, adequate resources, and bold reforms, peacekeepers can remain an indispensable force for peace, stability, and hope in a turbulent world. Egypt, in partnership with the United Nations, remains at the forefront of delivering that support.
