Strengthening UN Peacekeeping: Pakistan's Call for Renewal and Relevance

Strategic Insights -

The Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has emphasized the need to strengthen and modernize UN peacekeeping operations to address the root causes of disputes. Ahmad stressed that peacekeeping missions should have clear priorities, achievable tasks, and credible leadership to effectively sustain ceasefires, deter escalation, and foster dialogue. He also highlighted the need for peacekeeping operations to evolve and adapt to new challenges, including climate-related security risks, and to deploy more women peacekeepers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Pakistan has called for strengthening and modernizing UN peacekeeping operations to address the root causes of disputes.
  • Peacekeeping missions should have clear priorities, achievable tasks, and credible leadership to effectively sustain ceasefires, deter escalation, and foster dialogue.
  • The protection of civilians must remain central in peacekeeping operations, and mandates must be strengthened, resourced, and backed by accountability of mission leadership.
  • Troop- and police-contributing countries must not be excluded from crucial decisions, and the safety and security of peacekeepers must be ensured.
  • Accountability to peacekeepers is essential, and attacks on them must be investigated and prosecuted to create deterrence.
  • Peacekeeping should adopt new technologies, address climate-related security risks, deploy more women peacekeepers, and engage local communities.
  • Pakistan has a long history of supporting UN peacekeeping, hosting one of the oldest UN missions (UNMOGIP) and contributing over 250,000 peacekeepers to 48 missions.

Statistics:

  • The UN peacekeeping budget is $5.4 billion, which is less than 0.2 percent of global military spending.
  • Over 250,000 Pakistanis have served in 48 UN peacekeeping missions.
  • 182 Pakistani peacekeepers have sacrificed their lives in the service of peacekeeping operations.

Sources:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1736552

United Nations -- [Source not explicitly mentioned]