United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon On Monday urged Member States to provide key military assets and more women staff to serve in UN peacekeeping operations.
Ban made the call at a Leaders’ Peacekeeping Summit, called by President Barack Obama on behalf of the 121 troops-contributing countries in New York.
“We need more female police officers and we would most welcome if you send formed police units,” he said.
He said that the Peacekeeping Operations was in need of solid political backing from the member states of the UN.
“We must explore every possible avenue to prevent conflicts before they begin.
“We must promote the full participation of women in advancing peace and security.
“And we in the Secretariat must do our part by building on all we have done to streamline our systems and improve the way we support our missions,” he said.
The UN Chief said the presence of so many leaders during the summit and the new pledges they were about to announce, represented an unprecedented collective commitment to strengthen UN peacekeeping.
“You represent longstanding and new contributors, as well as all regions of the world.
“You are reaffirming and indeed reinforcing the truly universal nature of UN peacekeeping.
“We are here together to strengthen United Nations peacekeeping in concrete and meaningful ways,” he said.
Peacekeeping operations, he said, saved lives, protected people and helped countries overcome conflict.
He said, today, the demand for peacekeeping had never been greater.
Ban said more than 120 countries, currently contributed over 125,000 troops, police and civilian personnel.
The UN missions, he said, wereoperating 350 medical clinics, 167 helicopters, 70 aircraft and seven ships and more than 13,000 vehicles.
He told the leaders that the peacekeepers disarm, demobilise and reintegrate ex-combatants; strengthen rule of law and security institutions; and promote human rights.
“These numbers show peacekeeping’s value but are also …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
