Briefing on the Secretary General’s Review on the future of all forms of United Nations peace operations
Statement delivered by H.E. James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
26 August 2026
Thank you President,
At the outset, I want to pay tribute to the Ethiopian peacekeepers killed and those injured in South Sudan earlier this week.
We echo the call for a prompt and thorough investigation in line with resolution 2823.
This attack only underscores why today’s discussion is so important.
I will make four points.
First, Australia agrees that the UN must prioritise peace making.
Conflict prevention is at the heart of the UN’s mission and peacekeeping plays a critical role.
At a time when ambitious UN reform is essential, prevention is the most effective and cost-efficient approach.
We welcome the commitment to utilise the Secretary General’s good offices and proactively use all available peacemaking tools.
We also agree that the UN should sharpen its advisory role in mandate design and assessment.
Second, we welcome the focus on partnerships and readiness.
Australia works closely with our regional partners on peacekeeping, through practical training and strategic airlift.
Last month in Fiji, we co-hosted a regional dialogue on the Future of Peace Operations and Protection of Civilians. The forum highlighted a key message: for reform to succeed, we must listen and better integrate lessons from the field, and troop-and police-contributing countries.
We look forward to the study on key capabilities for military and police and stand ready to share our expertise.
Third, Australia stresses the need for greater efficiencies in Peacekeeping. We must accelerate the safe and responsible deployment of emerging technologies and improve early warning capacity.
Finally, we prioritise the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers.
That is why Australia led international efforts to protect aid workers through the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel.
And it is why we will continue to ensure that Protection is central to the planning, mandating and resourcing of peacekeeping operations.
We encourage all Member States to reflect on the report and look forward to building its recommendations into action. Thank you.