The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has opened the 2025 Challenges Annual Forum in Accra, bringing together global peace experts, policymakers, and academics to deliberate on how international peace operations can evolve in response to emerging security threats.
The event is set to take place from the 14th to the 16th of October.
Themed “Adapt and Advance: Renewing the Impact of Peace Operations,” the two-day event aims to generate innovative solutions to strengthen global and regional peacekeeping mechanisms.
In his opening remarks, KAIPTC Commandant Air Commodore David Akrong highlighted Ghana’s longstanding commitment to global peace and security, noting that the country remains one of the most reliable contributors to international peace operations.
He said the forum aligns with the Centre’s strategic objective of enhancing the capacity of ECOWAS, the African Union, and the United Nations to sustain peace on the continent.
Deputy Minister for Defence Ernest Brogya Gyamfi reaffirmed Ghana’s readiness to support ongoing UN reforms to make peace operations more agile, inclusive, and effective. He also underscored the need to integrate climate change and new technologies into peacekeeping strategies, describing them as critical security imperatives.
Delivering the keynote address, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hannah Tetteh emphasised the importance of realistic, well-resourced, and politically supported mandates for UN missions.
She urged global actors to confront challenges such as misinformation, foreign interference, and the weaponisation of technology that threaten the legitimacy and effectiveness of peace operations.
The 2025 Challenges Forum is hosted by KAIPTC in collaboration with the governments of Ghana, Sweden, and Norway and the Challenges Forum International Secretariat. It marks a major milestone in the global review of peace operations as the United Nations commemorates its 80th anniversary.
