NEW YORK – At the United Nations, Pakistan has reiterated its support tostrengthen and expansion of the United Nations Military Observer Group inIndia and Pakistan.
Speaking in UN Special Committee on Peace Keeping Operations in New York,Pakistan Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr Maleeha Lodhisaid as a leading troop contributor as well as a host state, Pakistan wouldcontinue to support efforts to strengthen peacekeeping.
She said our faith in this indispensable tool for the maintenance ofinternational peace and security is firm and abiding.
Maleeha Lodhi stressed that the safety and security of peacekeepersremained urgent as threats faced by them have increased due to complex andevolving conflicts.
She said the UN Special Committee must play its role in norm building andpolicy formation, and enable peacekeepers to meet the high expectationsthat we all have of them.
Calling for increased representation of major troop contributing countriesat leadership levels in the field and at headquarters, Ambassador Lodhisaid such a step would bring more field-based perspective in decisionsrelated to peacekeeping operations.
She also touched upon the issue of financing peacekeeping operations andcriticized calls for cutting costs. Peacekeeping, she maintained, isalready a cost-effective undertaking which draws strength from thecollective political will of the international community.
Read Top Stories
Maleeha Lodhi informed that Pakistan has enhanced the participation ofwomen in UN Peacekeeping Operations.
She said that Pakistan is proud to have achieved the goal of deployment of15 percent female staff officers in UN Missions.
Based on the Security Council’s call in 2015 to double the women in uniformcomponent, the UN’s Office of Military Affairs set the target of deploying15% female military and staff officers in Peacekeeping Missions by December2018.
Pakistan envoy further informed the UN Committee that Pakistan is deployingan engagement team consisting of women in the Democratic Republic of Congoin May 2019.
The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, also known as C-34, is anannual forum where key stakeholders deliberate on issues of peacekeepingand evolve policies to address emerging challenges.
