The Official Opening of the Peace Operations Review Week

Ambassador Samuel Yao Kumah
and Permanent Representative of
Ghana to the United Nations
5th November 2025
CR.6, United Nations HQ, New York

THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE PEACE OPERATIONS REVIEW WEEK
Excellencies, Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives,
Director of Strategic Planning & Monitoring, Office of the SG
Representatives of Challenge Forum International & KAIPTC,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is a great pleasure for me to address this esteemed audience at the launch of the Key findings for the Challenges Annual Forum 2025, held in Accra, Ghana, which also marks the official opening of the Peace Operations Review Week in New York. Your presence at this seminal event demonstrates your deep commitment to addressing the issues related to peace operations and global crisis management.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Permanent Representative of Sweden, H.E. Nicola Clase for collaborating closely with Ghana to co-host this morning’s event alongside the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center and the International Forum for the Challenges of Peace Operations (Challenges Forum). The theme for this year’s Challenges Annual Forum, “Adapt and Advance: Renewing the Impact of Peace Operations,” is particularly relevant, as peace operations have developed over the years in response to evolving security contexts and the current landscape of conflicts and insecurity.

Ladies and Gentleman,
There is no gainsaying the fact that the current global peace and security and architecture is experiencing a significant transformation, becoming increasingly complex and dynamic, partly due to the actions of violent extremist organizations and modern threats to peace and stability. In Africa in particular, non-state actors such as violent extremist and terrorist networks persist in exploiting vulnerabilities within state structures and deepening divisions amidst the context of asymmetrical warfare. Consistently, they direct most attacks against civilian populations as a means of obtaining political effects. I am especially pleased that the team from KAIPTC and the Challenges Forum International Secretariat, as earlier mentioned, collaborated with Ghana and Sweden to co-host this event. Earlier in October, a forum was convened in Accra, Ghana, which event attracted huge patronage from critical stakeholders. I believe that the decision to hold this subsequent meeting in New York to share the forum’s outcomes within the broader policy environment will enhance the influence of CAF 25 in shaping the future review of all forms of peace operations.

The Challenges Annual Forum (CAF 2025) reaffirmed that the future of peace operations relies on adaptability, inclusivity, and innovation. Ghana hosted a forum that highlighted a nation’s enduring dedication to UN peacekeeping, emphasizing Africa’s leadership in global peace and security. The forum offered a timely platform to reconsider how peace operations can sustain credibility and effectiveness in the face of unprecedented geopolitical, environmental, and technological shifts. It was encouraging to observe that the throughout plenary sessions and Innovation Labs, participants advocated for a shift in peace operations from reactive measures to proactive strategies focused on prevention, resilience, and the achievement of sustainable peace. This transformation was observed to necessitate the enhancement of regional and multilateral cooperation, the operationalization of predictable financing in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2719, and the alignment of global strategies with African-led initiatives and national ownership.

The emphasis on integrating climate action, technological innovation, and gender-responsive peacebuilding reflects a holistic understanding of today’s security environment, that is, one where human security and environmental sustainability are inseparable from political stability.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Ghana’s role as the host and KAIPTC’s leadership of CAF 2025 demonstrate the importance of regional institutions in influencing global policy discourse. Participants concluded with strong conviction that peace operations must not only address crises but also establish the foundations for inclusive governance, local empowerment, and environmental sustainability. The Forum thus represented a significant milestone in the development of a more cooperative, adaptable, and forward-looking peace and security framework.

In the context of building on Ghana’s longstanding leadership in United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding, CAF 2025 explored how the international community can reimagine peace operations for a sustainable future, focusing on partnerships, innovation, and adaptability in a rapidly changing global context. Allow me to conclude by expressing the hope that today’s discussion will serve to build upon the deliberations that took place in Accra, and that valuable insights will be gained for the review of the future of all types of peace operations.

I wish us all a productive and successful deliberation.
I thank you for your attention.