'India proud of contribution to UN peacekeeping'

India commenced its two-year stint as a non-permanent member of the 15-nation UN Security Council in January this year. Ever since, India has shown a willingness and is doing its bit to bring an inclusive solution to matters of international peace and matters concerning the security of the world as a whole.

New Delhi: At a debate on the safety and security of UN peacekeepers at the United Nations Security Council on Monday, India said it has contributed in many ways to strengthen UN peacekeeping. Speaking at the debate, India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, ambassador Nagraj Naidu hailed the role played by the UN peacekeeper during the ongoing pandemic, which posed severe challenges to peacekeeping. He said, "Earlier this year, it delivered 200,000 doses of Made in India COVID vaccines, which has helped vaccinate 140,000 field personnel".

"During the pandemic, India readily answered the Secretary General’s call by upgrading its hospitals in United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)", he added.

"India is proud of its long and rich tradition of contribution to UN peacekeeping operations...Even as we speak today, an Indian peacekeepers brigade stationed in Goma (DRC) are saving lives of civilians stranded in the aftermath of the Mount Nayargongo eruption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo”, Naidu further reiterated.

Highlighting India’s approach towards UN peacekeeping, Naidu said that Indian forces part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo played a key role in safeguarding civilians and UN assets when the eruption took place. MONUSCO has 14,000 military personnel with India at 2200 plus being the largest troop-contributing country.

He also said that India is also working with the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations for the development of a mobile tech platform – UNITE AWARE, which, will help "increase situational awareness and provides terrain-related information to peacekeepers." India has contributed $1.64 million towards UN peacekeeping and will be launching the application in August when it will chair the United Nations Security Council. He further updated the council on the development of a mobile tech platform to aid peacekeepers.

Also, India's Centre for UN Peacekeeping set up in 2000 will be signing an MoU with C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations for new training modules for UN peacekeepers.

It is pertinent to note that India has commenced its two-year stint as a non-permanent member of the 15-nation UN Security Council in January this year. Ever since, India has shown a willingness and is doing its bit to bring an inclusive solution to matters of international peace and matters concerning the security of the world as a whole.

India in the various global platform has reiterated its stance for the need of reformed multilateralism and has remained committed to raising its voice against issues like terrorism, human rights violation that is precarious to global security and humanity. India will be UNSC President in August 2021 and will preside over the council again for a month in 2022.