New York, 18 May 2026: Bangladesh has called for stronger political support, adequate resources and modern capabilities for United Nations peacekeepers to strengthen civilian protection amid rising conflicts and evolving global security threats. Speaking at a UN side event titled “Dialogue to De-escalate: How United Nations Military Peacekeepers Protect Civilians through Dialogue and Engagement” at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury said peacekeepers remain vital to protecting civilians in increasingly complex conflict situations.

He cited geopolitical tensions, rapid technological change and funding constraints as major challenges to implementing Protection of Civilians (POC) mandates, stressing the need to equip peacekeepers to address emerging threats, including those linked to artificial intelligence and evolving warfare technologies. Referring to Gaza and the Rohingya crisis, he expressed concern over rising civilian casualties and emphasized humanitarian access, peacekeeper safety and dialogue-based engagement to de-escalate conflicts.

The event featured a panel discussion with Lt Gen Cheryl Pearce of the UN Department of Peace Operations, Lt Gen Humphrey Nyone of MINUSCA and Lt Colonel Herly Sinaga of Indonesia. It was co-hosted by Bangladesh, Australia, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Uruguay, Zambia and the Stimson Center. The session was moderated by Lisa Sharland and attended by senior UN officials, diplomats and peacekeeping experts.