KEY POINTS
• Nigeria has assumed the chairmanship of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, known as C 34.
• Jimoh Ibrahim said Nigeria will focus on closing the gap between peacekeeping policy and field realities.
• Protection of civilians, financial accountability and stronger field engagement are among the priorities.
• Nigeria will push for greater involvement of senior military leaders in the committee’s substantive discussions.
MAIN STORY
Nigeria has assumed the chairmanship of the United Nations Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, C 34, with the country’s UN Permanent Representative, Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, pledging to make peacekeeping policy more closely connected to conditions in conflict zones.
Ibrahim took over from Canada’s Permanent Representative to the UN, David Lametti, and said Nigeria would use the position to strengthen accountability, improve multilateral cooperation and ensure that decisions taken at UN headquarters reflect the realities faced by peacekeepers, civilians and host communities.
“We just took over the UN Peacekeeping Committee from Canada. Nigeria is fully back,” Ibrahim said.
He identified the disconnect between policy formulation and implementation in the field as a key issue for the committee under Nigeria’s leadership.
“We must ensure that the gap between policy and practice is closed,” he said.
Ibrahim said the chairmanship would also provide Nigeria with an opportunity to contribute to stronger multilateralism and improve the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations.
“This leadership gives us another opportunity to contribute meaningfully to strengthening multilateralism, improving peacekeeping and ensuring that the United Nations delivers practical results.”
Nigeria’s new responsibility comes alongside Ibrahim’s chairmanship of the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, which deals with administrative and budgetary matters.
He said Nigeria would use both positions to promote stronger links between resources, policy decisions and measurable outcomes, while working with Canada, members of the C 34 Bureau, troop and police contributing countries, financial contributors, the UN Secretariat and host countries.
Nigeria’s approach will focus on effective peacekeeping, protection of civilians, field informed policymaking, financial responsibility, respect for the UN Charter and greater accountability among the various parties involved in peacekeeping operations.
THE ISSUES
A major priority for the new chairmanship will be bringing more operational experience into C 34’s policy discussions.
Ibrahim wants senior military authorities, including Chiefs of Army Staff and their equivalents, to participate more directly in the committee’s substantive deliberations, particularly during the February to March 2027 session.
He also placed civilian protection at the centre of Nigeria’s peacekeeping agenda, arguing that security operations and counter terrorism efforts must continue to respect the rights and safety of civilians in conflict areas.
Nigeria’s position is that protecting civilians and combating terrorism should reinforce rather than undermine each other.
The committee brings together countries that contribute troops and police to UN missions, major financial contributors, Security Council members and countries hosting peacekeeping operations. Its decisions therefore have implications for how missions are financed, planned and carried out in the field.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“Counter terrorism operations must respect the right of civilians to exist and their right to protection.”
Jimoh Ibrahim, Nigeria’s UN Permanent Representative
“Security operations become more credible when innocent civilians are protected and when international law and human dignity remain central to the response.”
Jimoh Ibrahim, Nigeria’s UN Permanent Representative
WHAT’S NEXT
Nigeria will work with the C 34 Bureau, contributing countries, financial partners, the UN Secretariat and host countries ahead of the committee’s 2027 substantive session.
Canada has also pledged support for discussions on peacekeeping financing and greater engagement between committee members and personnel working in the field.
Lametti said Canada supported efforts to give delegates more direct exposure to the operational challenges facing peacekeepers, missions and host communities.
BOTTOM LINE
Nigeria’s chairmanship gives it a greater role in shaping how UN peacekeeping policy responds to conditions on the ground. Ibrahim’s agenda centres on operational effectiveness, civilian protection, financial responsibility and stronger accountability.
