Last year, India maintained its tradition as one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations by deploying the highest number of troops to the force.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its report titled 'Multilateral Peace Operations in 2023; Developments and Trends' this week.

According to the report, India dispatched 5,901 troops to various peacekeeping missions worldwide, marking the highest deployment among contributing nations. Nepal closely followed India, sending 5,878 troops on similar missions.

Bangladesh and Pakistan, two of India's South Asian neighbours, emerged as significant contributors to UN peacekeeping operations. Bangladesh secured the fourth position by deploying 5,393 troops, while Pakistan, ranked seventh, sent 4,299 troops to various peacekeeping missions.

According to the report, three overarching trends observed in 2022 persisted and intensified in multilateral peace operations throughout 2023. These trends included the escalating impact of geopolitical rivalries, heightened tensions in the relationships between peace operations and their host nations, and the increasing regionalisation of peace operations.

In total, there were 63 active multilateral peace operations spread across 37 countries or territories worldwide in 2023, representing a slight decrease from the previous year. Sub-Saharan Africa experienced the highest number of UN peacekeeping operations, with 24 missions deployed, reflecting the region's ongoing struggles with violence and conflict.

The report highlighted the initiation of new peacekeeping operations in countries including Armenia, Moldova, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The EU Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova (EUPM Moldova) was formally established on 24 April last year in response to a request from the Moldovan government, prompted by Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine.

According to the report, Moldova has faced security challenges such as an influx of refugees, an energy crisis, and violations of its airspace by Russian missiles.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) was inaugurated on 8 May 2023, with the objective of assisting the Congolese army in combatting armed groups in the eastern region of the DRC.

Established on 23 January last year, the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) took over from the 2022 EU Monitoring Capacity to Armenia (EUMCAP). The mission's goal is to "observe and report on the security situation along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan".

Additionally, peacekeeping operations were concluded in countries including Mali, Sudan, and the Central African Republic (CAR).

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