India among top contributors even as global peacekeeping ops drop by 40%: Report
As global conflicts surge, multilateral peace operations are paradoxically shrinking in scale. According to the latest data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), deployments to peace operations have dropped by over 40 per cent in the last decade — from 1,61,509 personnel in 2015 to just 94,451 in 2024.Yet, India continued to retain its place among the top troop contributors to United Nations peacekeeping efforts. With 5,211 military personnel deployed, India ranks third globally, following Nepal (5,908) and Bangladesh (5,482). All three South Asian nations remain strong supporters of UN-led peace missions.advertisementThe SIPRI report underscored a striking pattern: every one of the top 10 troop-contributing countries hails from the Global South. Besides India, the list includes Pakistan and six sub-Saharan African nations, such as Rwanda and Kenya, highlighting the South's continued commitment to global peacekeeping, even as Western powers retreat or refocus.
In 2024, 61 peace operations were active across 36 countries — just two fewer than in 2023. However, these missions are operating with fewer personnel and increasingly constrained mandates, largely due to geopolitical tensions and funding shortages, according to the report.Sub-Saharan Africa remains the epicentre of peacekeeping activity. Of all deployed personnel, a staggering 74 per cent — amounting to nearly 70,000 — were stationed in this region. In contrast, only 0.3 per cent (314 personnel) were deployed in Asia and Oceania, including missions involving Indian forces.advertisementPeace operations are also being undermined by a fractured UN Security Council. Furthermore, SIPRI noted that internal rifts have effectively paralysed the council's ability to launch new large-scale UN missions. No major UN-led peacekeeping operation has been initiated in the past decade.Financial strains are compounding the crisis. Delayed payments from key funders — including the United States, China, and several EU nations — have placed severe pressure on UN operations. The recent closure of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) was one of the casualties of this fiscal squeeze.As multilateral responses falter, some conflict-hit countries are turning to private military and security companies (PMSCs). However, SIPRI cautioned that reliance on PMSCs, seen in places like Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo, often produces mixed or poor results.Ironically, even host nations that previously demanded peacekeeper withdrawals are reversing course. Both the DRC and Somalia have recently urged peacekeepers to remain longer, following renewed instability and threats in areas vacated by UN forces.Despite the operational setbacks and declining troop numbers, SIPRI experts argued that multilateral peace operations continue to serve as essential tools for managing conflict and protecting civilians. Their remarks came ahead of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, observed on May 29.
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