Amid growing conflicts, Pakistan urges strengthening of UN peacekeeping’s role to promote peace

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Noting that conflicts were now becoming more complex and grave, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, has underscored the need for boosting the role of UN peacekeeping to more effectively serve the cause of peace and security.

Welcoming a UN peacekeeping delegation, comprising heads of military components conference (HOMCC), to the Pakistan Mission, he reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to work with member states and the UN to make peacekeeping more productive, result-oriented, and meaningful in promoting peace and security in line with the UN Charter.

“Peacekeeping must be part of a broader political strategy aimed at addressing the root causes of conflicts and violence,” Ambassador Aram added.

The delegation included Lt. Gen. Mohan Subramanian, head of UNMISS (South Sudan); Lt. Gen. Humphrey Nyone, head of MINUSCA (Central African Republic); Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, head of UNIFIL (Lebanon); Lt. Gen. NirmalKumar Thapa, head of UNDOF (Golan); Maj. Gen. Benjamin OlufemiSawyerr, head of UNISFA (Abyei); Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Rios, head of UNMOGIP (Kashmir); Maj. Gen. Muhammad Fakhrul Ahsan, head of MINURSO (Western Sahara), and Maj. Gen. Erdenebat Batsuuri, head of UNFICYP (Cyprus).

Ambassador Akram said, “Pakistan has served UN peacekeeping operations in hotspots around the world for over six decades with dedication and professionalism. Since the 1960s, Pakistan has contributed over 235,000 troops to 48 missions, losing 181 of its bravest who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Major General Cheryl Pearce, Acting Military Adviser and representative of the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace, commended Pakistan’s contributions, noting that no other country had sacrificed more lives in the service of international peace than Pakistan.

She said efforts were being made to enhance the safety and security of peacekeepers through specialized skills and modern training.

UN Police Advisor Faisal Shahkar thanked Pakistan for its service to international peace, highlighting the active involvement of Pakistani police officials in peacekeeping missions.

Col. Umar Shafique, Military and Police Advisor at the Pakistan Mission, provided a comprehensive briefing on Pakistan’s contributions over the last six decades, while underscoring Pakistan’s status as one of the largest troop-contributing countries, with approximately 3,800 peacekeepers currently serving in eight UN missions.

Col. Shafique also highlighted the sacrifices of Pakistani peacekeepers for the cause of peace.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the UN’s Uniform Gender Parity Strategy, noting that since 2017, around 500 Pakistani female peacekeepers had served under the UN flag, reflecting Pakistan’s dedication to gender parity and the empowerment of women.

Also present were staff officers of the UN missions’ heads, officers from UN Military Affairs, police seconded officers from Pakistan, and officers of the Pakistan Mission to the UN.