*António Guterres, UN Secretary General.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the international community to make greater investments in peace and strengthen support for those working to prevent and end conflicts around the world.
Guterres made the appeal on Friday, September 18, 2026, while addressing the UN Security Council on the future of United Nations peacekeeping and other peace operations.
The UN chief urged Member States to stand behind peacekeepers and pursue new approaches to resolving conflicts, stressing that people caught in war and insecurity continue to look to the United Nations and its “blue helmets” for protection and hope.
“Let us invest in peace. Let’s stand united behind those who keep it. And forge, together, new pathways to peace,” Guterres said.
He added: “In the shadow of war, people still look to the blue helmets – and trust them. Let us be worthy of that trust – every day.”
The Secretary-General’s Security Council address came as the UN advances a major review of the future of all forms of UN peace operations. The review, jointly led by the Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, was submitted to the General Assembly and Security Council in August 2026.
According to the Secretary-General, the changing nature of conflicts requires the international community to reconsider how peace operations are designed, deployed and supported.
Guterres stressed that peacekeeping is fundamentally a political instrument intended to support political solutions, rather than serve as a substitute for them.
He called for greater emphasis on peacemaking and urged that UN missions be provided with the resources, capabilities and flexibility required to implement their mandates effectively. He also highlighted the importance of partnerships involving host countries, regional organisations and the wider UN system.
The UN review seeks to strengthen the full range of peace operations, including peacekeeping operations and special political missions, so they can respond more effectively and flexibly to contemporary and emerging threats. It was based on consultations involving UN entities, Member States, regional organisations, civil society, academia, host countries and affected societies.
UN peacekeepers, popularly known as the “Blue Helmets”, are military personnel contributed by countries around the world and deployed under UN command and control. The UN says about 60,000 military personnel currently serve in peacekeeping operations.
Their responsibilities include helping protect civilians, supporting political processes, creating secure environments and working with local communities and national security institutions.
UN peacekeeping is guided by three core principles: consent of the parties to a conflict, impartiality, and the non-use of force except in self-defence or defence of the mandate.
The work, however, comes with significant risks. The UN says more than 4,500 peacekeepers have died while serving in missions around the world.
Guterres’ call for stronger international backing therefore extends beyond financial support to political commitment, appropriate mandates, adequate equipment and personnel, and sustained diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing the causes of conflict.
The United Nations maintains that peacekeeping can help create conditions for lasting peace but cannot replace the political will of conflict parties to resolve their disputes.
The Security Council, which has primary responsibility under the UN Charter for maintaining international peace and security, determines when and where UN peace operations are deployed. It establishes missions through resolutions that define their mandates and size, and subsequently reviews and adjusts those mandates where necessary.
Guterres’ latest intervention comes amid what the UN describes as an increasingly complex international security environment, reinforcing his broader argument that preventing conflict and building sustainable peace require collective action rather than reliance on military deployments alone.
His message was therefore framed as a call for countries to move beyond reacting to wars after they erupt and to place greater emphasis on prevention, diplomacy, mediation and political settlements.