Disarmament and International Security Committee (Middle School)

Ever since the founding of the UNDPO (United Nations Department of Peace Operations) in 1948, there have been doubts about when it is right to deploy such forces in armed conflicts around the world. In the span of 81 years of existence, over 70 peacekeeping missions have been dispatched across the globe. A considerable number of the officers deployed by this program have been sent to African countries such as South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As of 2026, over 60,000 officers are actively deployed throughout 14 different operations, with roles ranging from civilian assistance to uniformed personnel. That being said, the latest report of 2025 announced the possibility of cutting around 25% of officers in certain operations due to decreased funding. As a consequence of these cuts, operations are left with a considerable amount of missing help (such as civilian assistance). Another problem UN peace officers face is the malicious harm/killing of officers and personnel on different missions; since 1948, around 1000 officers have been killed by malicious acts from different groups. All these factors have caused worry and uncertainty throughout the world on whether it’s safe to deploy officers to ongoing growing conflicts such as the US-Iran or Palestine-Israel.