Hannah Tetteh calls for smarter, better-resourced peace operations

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative to the African Union, Hannah Serwaah Tetteh, has called for a fundamental rethinking of how UN peace operations are structured, funded and deployed amidst growing global instability and geopolitical fragmentation.

Speaking at the 2025 Challenges Annual Forum (CAF25) held at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, she stressed that the current international peace architecture must undergo “objective assessment and meaningful recalibration” to reflect today’s complex geopolitical realities, including increased non-state armed actors, disinformation campaigns, and the weaponisation of technology.

“We are not living in a bubble,” she said. “We recognise the need for change — but we must also acknowledge that peace operations cannot deliver meaningful outcomes if we are constantly expected to do more with less. That mantra is not sustainable.”

Referencing the outcomes of the 2024 Summit of the Future and the adoption of the Pact for the Future, the UN envoy noted that the UN Secretary-General’s UN80 initiative has laid the groundwork for a strategic overhaul of peace operations, calling for a smarter, modular, and better-equipped approach.

“The UN was meant to be a politically realistic body,” she explained. “One that brings together member states not just to respond to conflict, but to prevent it before it arises, and to reduce the human and material cost of war.”

Ms Tetteh warned that the multilateral system is now operating in a far more contested space, with growing internal divisions among member states, and increasing interference by external powers in local conflict zones.

She emphasised how foreign interests have at times “undermined the implementation of mission mandates”, suggesting that geopolitical posturing is directly affecting the UN’s effectiveness in fragile regions.

She also drew attention to the growing influence of de facto authorities and non-state actors, particularly in Africa’s conflict zones, describing them as “increasingly unavoidable” players in the peace process, even if they are not always constructive.

Drawing on her experience in Libya and current role in Benin, she provided a sobering snapshot of the West African Sahel, where extremist violence, transnational organised crime, and inter-communal tensions have created an explosive and fast-evolving crisis.

“The threats are no longer conventional. They are asymmetric, coordinated, and regional involving drones, IEDs, and criminal networks that move faster than regional state integration efforts,” she said.

“Traditional peacekeeping models no longer suffice.”

She urged that UN missions must be tailored to specific contexts with the flexibility to scale up or down. Peacekeeping forces must be backed by agile structures, focused mandates, and strategic objectives, not overloaded with broad-scope tasks they cannot resource.

A major part of Ms Tetteh’s address focused on the weaponisation of digital technologies, particularly social media, to undermine UN missions.

She cited direct examples from Libya and the Sahel where disinformation campaigns have incited violence against UN personnel and eroded local trust.

“These attacks are not always based in truth,” she noted. “But they feed off real frustrations with slow progress in peacebuilding. They are often coordinated by State or non-state spoilers aiming to delegitimise UN presence.”

To counter this, she proposed a shift from basic public information to robust strategic communications and real-time counter-disinformation efforts, supported by AI and data analytics to anticipate and defuse false narratives.

She also addressed the tension between respecting state sovereignty and the UN’s responsibility to act, particularly when early warning signs are clear and escalating.

“When we know something is about to go wrong, that is not the time to be politically correct,” she warned. “We need to be frank and direct, not silent and diplomatic to a fault.”

She urged regional and international actors to support frank dialogue and pre-emptive intervention before crises snowball beyond control.

Warning against so-called “Christmas tree mandates” that attempt to address every possible issue, she argued that missions must prioritise core peacebuilding tasks, such as protecting civilians, supporting democratic governance, and strengthening national institutions.

“Focus is critical. If we can secure the foundations of peace, we can build towards the rest,” she said. “But without the proper resources, even the most focused mission is set up to fail.”

She emphasised that multilateral responses must be backed by clear political strategies, unity among Security Council members, and strengthened partnerships, particularly with the African Union and regional blocs.

“Peacekeeping, special political missions, and UN country teams must work in coordinated harmony,” she said. “And member states must commit to long-term engagement not expect quick-fix results in complex conflict zones.”

As the UN continues its internal review under the UN80 initiative, she urged the international community to use this moment not simply as a technical exercise but as an opportunity for genuine transformation.

“Let us be bold enough to innovate, realistic enough to adapt, and honest enough to face our own limitations,” she concluded. “Only then can we build peace operations that are truly fit for purpose in today’s world.”

The CAF25 Forum, co-hosted by Ghana and Sweden, brought together defence officials, peacekeeping experts, and regional leaders to chart the future of peace operations.

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