UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 side event: Elevating the role of civilians in peace operations

While the UN Department of Peace Operations acknowledges the need for a more “people-centered” approach to peacekeeping in theory, the concept remains under-defined in practical terms. This event took up that challenge: to interrogate what “people-centered” peacekeeping can look like in practice and to highlight existing, evidence-based models of international partnerships with non-mission civilians advancing peace on the ground.

Our colleague Emmanuel Ira called in from Juba, South Sudan, to reflect on experiences and lessons learned about how civilian-led peace processes can complement the efforts of UNMISS. He was joined by Ronnie Desley, Head of Mission Asia programs at Nonviolent Peaceforce.