United Nations, Sep 18 (IANS) Peacekeeping is a priority in its bid for election to the Security Council, and it is committed to ensuring the core UN mechanism has the needed resources and that its operations are protected, according to India’s Permanent Representative P. Harish.
“Because we regard peacekeeping as irreplaceable to this Council’s core purpose, India has made it a priority for our Security Council candidacy for 2028-2029”, he said on Friday (local time).
“We reaffirm our commitment to a peacekeeping architecture better resourced, protected, and representative of the world it serves”, he said.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar launched India’s candidature at the UN in June for a non-permanent seat representing the Asia Pacific region in the elections to be held next year.
Appropriately, the manifesto he announced is called Shanti — Peace — an acronym for ‘Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust (and) Integrity’.
Speaking at the open debate on peacekeeping, Harish highlighted India’s record as the largest troop-contributor to peacekeeping, deploying nearly 300,000 troops across more than 50 missions.
“184 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice as Blue Helmets (and) our approach is shaped not by rhetoric but by their sweat and blood,” he said.
Harish also made several suggestions to make peacekeeping more effective.
He said that the countries that contribute troops and police “should have a structured voice in shaping mandates, through consultation before they are adopted or reviewed”.
The Council now unilaterally issues its mandates, which also leads to other problems.
“Aligning host state priorities with mission mandates is needed to ensure that missions do not become long-term auxiliary political instruments”, Harish said.
The mandates must have “a clear political process, with which this Council must stay engaged”, he said.
He suggested rationalising the peacekeeping mandates to avoid waste and ensure best use of resources.
“Missions sustained on political life-support without operational rationale drain resources that are needed elsewhere and undermine the credibility of peacekeeping as a whole,” Harish said.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also made some similar points.
He said that there must be a longer-term vision of their goals before peacekeepers are deployed.
He called for closer consultation with countries where peacekeeping operations are deployed and said peace “must be built from within — by the national actors, who hold the key”.
–IANS
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