The Hindu Editorial Analysis
1 November 2025
The Case for a Board of Peace and Sustainable Security
(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)
Topic : GS Paper II: International Relations | GS Paper III: Internal Security
Context
As the United Nations (UN) marks its 80th anniversary, it faces a deep institutional crisis. The UN Security Council (UNSC), designed to prevent wars, now struggles to sustain peace. Prolonged conflicts, limited mediation, and early withdrawal from peacekeeping missions expose a structural failure in the global peace architecture. The article argues for establishing a new institutional mechanism — a “Board of Peace and Sustainable Security (BPSS)” — to revitalise peacebuilding and political engagement.
The Problem: Outdated Peace Structures
- The UNSC’s reactive framework addresses conflicts only after they escalate.
- Peacekeeping missions, while effective on the ground, lack political authority to sustain transitions.
- The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), created in 2005, remains marginal without enforcement power or continuity.
- The UN therefore “remembers too late and withdraws too early,” losing political momentum in conflict zones.
This points to an institutional design flaw, not merely political will — the absence of a body for long-term political accompaniment after violence ends.
Proposal: A Board of Peace and Sustainable Security (BPSS)
The proposed BPSS would:
- Reinforce mediation and dialogue during and after conflicts.
- Coordinate regional peace efforts and ensure political follow-up once peacekeeping missions end.
- Work with the UN Secretary-General and UNSC without duplication, under the authority of Article 99 of the UN Charter.
Such a board would transform peace from an ad-hoc reaction to a continuous political process.
Structure and Representation
- Membership: Around 24 rotating states, selected by the UN General Assembly for fixed terms.
- Representation: Balanced between regions — Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
- Role of regional groups: Active partners, not passive observers — ensuring that peacebuilding is locally shaped, not externally imposed.
This would give the board institutional memory, legitimacy, and renewal, avoiding the stagnation and power politics of the UNSC.
Functioning and Mandate
- The BPSS would not replace the UNSC but complement it by tracking commitments and maintaining continuity between missions.
- It would focus on development, governance, and human security, addressing root causes rather than symptoms.
- By doing so, it would prevent relapse into conflict and ensure that sovereignty is respected while peace efforts remain active.
Why This Reform Is Needed
- The UN’s credibility is at stake due to its inability to enforce peace in crises such as Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and Myanmar.
- The global order demands a balance between power and participation, privileging cooperation over control.
- A BPSS would revive multilateral legitimacy by ensuring that peacekeeping translates into sustainable stability.
Conclusion
Peace today requires not just ceasefires but political, social, and developmental continuity.
A “Board of Peace and Sustainable Security” would help institutionalise this approach, providing a bridge between diplomacy and reconstruction.
“The UN must create new institutions that sustain peace, not just restore it.”