UN Peacekeeping Mission India: India’s contribution to the UN peacekeeping mission has been important. The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission has also appreciated India’s contribution. The importance of digital technology is increasing in UN peacekeeping operations in different parts of the world. In such a situation, India’s role in these campaigns has also increased.
The United Nations also made a strategy for the digitization of these campaigns. The United Nations believes that India’s initiative in this direction is highly commendable. India is a key and major partner in the United Nations strategy of digitizing peacekeeping. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under Secretary General for Peace Keeping Operations, has said that India plays a big role in multilateralism in the world, in the UN. Also, India contributes to the UN Peacekeeping Campaign.
Contribution is not limited to sending soldiers
In an interview to PTI, Jean-Pierre Lacroix said that India’s contribution is not just limited to the context of forces and police, but whatever steps UN Peacekeeping takes towards improving peacekeeping, India helps them in many ways. We know that the soldiers of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force are called ‘Blue Helmets’. Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General of UN Peacekeeping Operations, has appreciated India’s participation and commitment in important initiatives such as ensuring accountability for crimes against the ‘Blue Helmets’. He has described India’s participation in peacekeeping operations and its commitment to cooperation as very important. During this, he also mentioned the ‘important role’ played by the United Nations India’s peacekeepers.
Largest contributor of peacekeepers
According to the statement of the Ministry of Defense, India has a rich heritage of contributing to UN peacekeeping operations and is the largest contributor of peacekeepers. Talking about statistics, India has so far contributed about 2,75,000 soldiers in such peacekeeping operations. Under the UN Peacekeeping Mission, 159 soldiers of the Indian Army have been martyred to ensure peace in the whole world. India has deployed corvettes as hard power, along with an infantry battalion group and helicopters, at the request of the United Nations. Along with this, an engineer company and signal company have been deployed as force assistants.
Currently Indian soldiers are deployed in 12 UN missions
The environment in which peacekeeping personnel perform their duties under UN peacekeeping operations is extremely dangerous. Despite this, India has been actively participating in the defense operations of the United Nations since the beginning. India is one of the largest contributor of troops to UN Peacekeeping. India ranks third in terms of personnel contribution to UN peacekeeping operations. More than 6000 military and police personnel of India are deployed in Cyprus, Congo, Lebanon, West Asia and West Sahara region. Indian soldiers are currently deployed in 12 UN missions.
India had also deployed a platoon of women peacekeepers in Abei earlier this year i.e. in January. This is the deployment of the largest contingent of women peacekeepers from India in the UN mission. Abyei is a disputed area on the border between South Sudan and Sudan and the region has special administrative status under the 2004 Protocol. In view of the need for women peacekeepers, India has deployed Female Engagement Team (FET) in MONUSCO and UNISFA. This is the second largest women’s squad after Liberia. India has also deployed women military police in UNDOF and women officers and military observers in different operations.
State-of-the-art equipment and vehicles also deployed
The Indian Army has also deployed state-of-the-art equipment and vehicles for the UN Peacekeeping Mission. These vehicles and equipment made in India have successfully withstood harsh weather and adverse conditions in the difficult terrain of peacekeeping mission areas. The Indian Army is also providing training for peacekeeping operations. For this, United Nations Peacekeeping Center (CUNPK) has been established in New Delhi. Every year more than 12 thousand soldiers are trained for peace operations through this center.
Logistics and technical support also provided
Not only this, in view of the peacekeeping mission, India has also been at the forefront of capacity development for the UN and partner countries. Since becoming a part of UN Peacekeeping, India has not only been continuously sending troops, but has also been providing large scale logistic and technical support for these operations. Whether it is training or infrastructure development, India has always been increasing its contribution in UN peacekeeping according to the need.
Accountability for crimes against peacekeepers
In December last year, during its presidency as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, India launched an initiative called the ‘Group of Friends’. Its purpose is to increase accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. The UN has also described this initiative of India as very important. Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for UN Peacekeeping Operations, noted the progress made in bringing perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers to justice. He told that since 2019 till now 72 persons have been convicted.
Full support towards peacekeeping reform
Whatever steps the UN is taking to improve operations related to UN peacekeeping, it also includes increasing the number and role of women in operations. Having more women in peacekeeping operations will help in establishing peace effectively in the respective areas sooner. The deployment of the largest contingent of women peacekeepers in Abei shows that India is fully helping in the direction of UN peacekeeping reform. The United Nations wants member countries to send more and more women for high positions in the military, police and military areas under the UN Peacekeeping Mission.
Three Indian peacekeepers honored
The Dag Hammarskjold Medal is posthumously awarded to soldiers, police and civilian peacekeepers who die in peacekeeping operations. This time 103 such military, police and civilian peacekeepers have been honored, including three Indian peacekeepers who lost their lives last year. These include BSF head constables Shishupal Singh and Sanwali Ram Vishnoi, who served with the Organization’s Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the same time, Shabar Taher Ali was working in the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.
The UN Security Council decides which countries need to send UN peacekeepers. UN member states are requested to contribute in the form of military and police personnel for UN peacekeeping missions. The United Nations has been working under the UN Peacekeeping Mission since 1948 to establish peace in different conflict parts of the world.
international day of united nations peacekeepers
Every year May 29 is celebrated as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. 75 years of United Nations peacekeeping operations have been completed. The UN observed the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on 29 May. This year the theme of the event was..’Peace begins with me’. This day is an occasion to remember the service and sacrifice of more than 10 lakh people working under this mission since 1948. It is the day on which the first United Nations peacekeeping mission, the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) began its operations in Palestine in 1948. In India too, on May 29, Army Chief General Manoj Pandey paid floral tributes to the martyred soldiers at the National War Memorial near India Gate.
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