What are the UK Armed Forces doing for the UN?
UN peacekeeping plays a critical role in reducing conflict around the world, with the UK Armed Forces working alongside personnel from many UN Member States.
Right now, there are 14 ongoing UN Peacekeeping operations, with around 100,000 deployed personnel from some 120 countries.
In 2015, the UK pledged to double the number of its Peacekeepers, and today almost 600 UK military personnel are working across 7 different missions.
South Sudan:
The UK’s deployment to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has been running since 2017 and is due to end in March 2020.
UK Armed Forces ran a Field Hospital before successfully handing it over to Vietnamese troops in November 2018. A UK Engineer Task Force is building structures and roads and providing water supplies for the Mission as it supports peace and stability in the country. An engineering team from Pakistan will take over in 2020 when the UK force leaves.
Cyprus:
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) started in 1964, to prevent fighting between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots.
This is one of the longest-standing UN Peacekeeping missions, with around 260 UK troops involved — the highest contribution to the Mission.
Somalia:
The United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), established in 2015, provides logistical field support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
The work of the UK Armed Forces helps to create spaces for political negotiations and the creation of Government in Somalia. The UK’s involvement was commended by the UN, with 32 British soldiers awarded a medal for their efforts.
Mali 2020
As our peacekeepers return from South Sudan in 2020, another task force will be preparing to continue the UK’s peacekeeping contribution through the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
Based in Gao, around 250 UK personnel will gather information and intelligence to help civilian and military teams from all over the UN deliver stabilisation in the area and protect civilians.
Our smaller taskforces:
As well as these troop deployments, the UK also has almost 20 Military Staff Officers deployed to seven UN Mission Headquarters’, including doctors, mission planners and advisers on gender issues.
