Kirsten Hartmann is a research assistant in the programme unit European and International Politics at the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung (BKHS) where she works in the project “Global Expert Group on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding”, a joint endeavour with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. She completed her bachelor’s degree in International Relations at the University of Erfurt and the Universidad Icesi in Cali, Colombia and her master’s degree in Peace Research and International Relations at the University of Tübingen and the University of Haifa, Israel. Before joining BKHS, Kirsten Hartmann supported, among others, the German Embassy in Panama and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Ramat Gan, Israel as an intern and was a working student at the Berghof Foundation in the project “#vrschwrng – An interactive toolkit against conspiracy theories”. She was a Carlo Schmid Fellow at the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in New York, USA.

Policy Project:  Navigating troubled waters: What future(s) for UN peace operations?

United Nations (UN) peace operations are in crisis and their future is uncertain. They face several old and new challenges, including liquidity shortfalls, a deadlocked Security Council, dwindling host state support, as well as a changing conflict and security actor landscape. As UN missions struggle to remain relevant, the number of conflicts is increasing. The international community’s most visible instrument for dealing with peace and security crises must therefore be adapted to a shifting world order.

In the context of the UN Summit of the Future in September and the Peacekeeping Ministerial next year, this project aims to explore future pathways for UN peace operations and their potential pitfalls. Germany – providing diverse support to missions and being the fourth-largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping – needs to shape the developments of UN peace operations. The project seeks to provide decision-makers with actionable recommendations for more effective future UN peace operations.