info@businessghana.com
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Libya, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, has called for a politically realistic and innovative approach to reforming United Nations (UN) peace operations to make them more responsive to the world's evolving security challenges.
She said the development of new technologies in warfare, coupled with the rise of non-state actors, among others, required a reform of peace operations to make them more resourceful and impactful to deal with the new developments.
"The complexities we face today are defined by the growing influence of non-state actors, the use of artificial intelligence in combat and severe challenges to human rights and humanitarian norms," she said.
Ms Tetteh was speaking at the opening of the 2025 Challenges Annual Forum (CAF25) organised by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs said that reviewing all forms of UN peace operations must go beyond rhetoric to create a smarter, more agile toolbox that effectively responds to the complexity of modern conflicts, particularly across West Africa and the Sahel.Ms Tetteh, who also heads the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), added that the success of peace operations across Africa depended on clear mandates, adequate financing and strategic partnerships, as violent extremism, transnational crime and political instability were interlinked.
She warned against overstretching missions through unrealistic mandates, adding that, without the necessary resources, peace operations cannot achieve their intended outcomes.
Ms Tetteh said there was a need for more innovative communications strategies, emphasising that misinformation and the weaponisation of social media were worsening instability and undermining trust in the UN.
She said that states, in collaboration with the UN, must act faster to catch up with the speed of regional integration among violent groups, which is much faster than among states.
Ms Tetteh added that reforming peace operations must include realistic financing mechanisms, stronger cooperation with regional actors such as the African Union and ECOWAS and an unwavering commitment to protecting civilians.
The three-day CAF25, is a joint Ghana, Sweden initiative, agreed on at the 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin.
The forum supports the UN Secretary-General's ongoing Review of All Forms of Peace Operations, focusing on how peacekeeping can evolve to address new threats and promote sustainable stability, particularly in Africa.
The CAF25, which is supported by Ghana, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, brought together policymakers, security experts and academics to explore technological innovations, regional collaboration and long-term peacebuilding.
Also speaking at the event, the acting Commandant of KAIPTC, Air Commodore David Akrong, described CAF25 as a "strategic and dynamic platform" to generate ideas that could reposition peace operations to build resilience, prevent conflict and promote lasting stability.
He stressed that modern peacekeepers were increasingly deployed in environments where "traditional ceasefires no longer hold," demanding innovative approaches and adaptable doctrines.
The Director-General of the Folke Bernadotte Academy and Chair of the Challenges Forum Partner Meeting, Per Olsson Fridh, said UN peace operations stood at a critical crossroads and must be redefined to remain practical and relevant.
He called for stronger partnerships with regional and national actors and urged all member states to meet their financial obligations to ensure the sustainability of peace operations.
The Deputy Minister of Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, reaffirmed the country’s longstanding commitment to peacekeeping, which it has participated in since 1960, ensuring lasting peace in various countries worldwide.
Mr Genfi said climate change also became a security priority that fueled displacement and conflict. According to him, this prompted President Mahama’s administration to create the Ministry of Climate Change and Sustainability.
"The burning question before us is how to adapt and advance to ensure peace operations remain credible, effective and relevant," he said.
