SyedA
06-02-2004, 11:21 PM
Pakistan’s role in peacekeeping
M Saeed Akhtar
The second International Day of the United Nations Peacekeepers was observed in Pakistan as in other parts of the world last Saturday to honour its establishment by the General Assembly in 2002 and pay homage to those who lost their lives for the cause of peace as well as those who have served or are serving peacekeeping operations. The second observance of the day comes at a moment of increasing demands around the world for the United Nations peacekeepers.
The preamble of the UN Charter expresses determination of the people of its members to save the succeeding generations from the scourge of wars and efforts are underway to achieve this objective of maintaining international peace and security through uniting their strength. Since 1948, the United Nations has deployed over 1.5 million peacekeepers in 57 missions, many in difficult zones with 1864 total fatalities in peacekeeping operations up to 30th April 2004. Presently, about 54,000 troops and police personnel are deployed in different missions and their number is likely to go well over 70000 by the end of this year.
The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations is currently fielding 15 missions in three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, western Sahara Cote d‘Iovire, Timor-Leste Cyprus,Georgia, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro Lebanon, Syrian Golan Heights and one political mission in Afghanistan
Ninety countries are contributing force to UN peacekeeping operations and as per latest position, the ten main troop-contributing countries are Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Ghana, Nepal, Uruguay, Jordan, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
Pakistan is the largest contributor of peacekeepers. Since 1960 it participated in 28 different peacekeeping missions gaining vast and rich experience. Today, in all 7697 of our troops and personnel are serving in eight peacekeeping missions in the three continents. This constitutes 13 per cent of global share. Sixty-six of our soldiers have laid down their lives while serving under the flag of the United Nations. In coming months Pakistan will send additional 1700 troops and other supporting personnel to new peace keeping missions, Burundi and cote d‘Ivoire (formerly Ivory Coast. This will take the total number of troops deployed to almost 10,000.
Pakistan’s record in UN peacekeeping has been impressive and immaculate and international community has duly acknowledged its contributions. Recently, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Pakistan troops have made the ultimate sacrifice in the voice of the world, peace and the United Nations. He believed it reflected determination among the Pakistani people to serve the world.
Pakistan firmly believes that the peace keeping operations should be well-conceived and well-executed with full international support and the goal of peacekeeping should not only be to separate the warring factions but to eliminate the root causes of conflict for ensuring durable peace and stability
Islamabad has proposed to establish a Peacekeeping Training Institute in Pakistan, which could be developed as centre of excellence for imparting professional training. The Security council at its special meeting on the 17th of this month recognised the need to draw on the expertise of experienced troop-contributing countries and called for the establishment of peacekeeping training centres for new and emerging troop contributors.
Pakistan has vital stake in the success of UN peacekeeping operations around the world but support for successful peacekeeping must come from both developed and developing countries, which must provide the women and women in uniform, the specialised military support services, the financial resources and the sustained commitment. The international community must prevent new flare-ups by investing time and funds in preparing post-conflict countries for democratic governance and economic development. Building peace from the ashes of war takes time and the international community must be willing to work with local institutions until they are ready to shoulder responsibility for the rule of law. Pakistan’s peacekeeping remains the most cost effective way of maintaining peace, preventing conflict and facilitating the transition from war to peace.
This is commendable that participation in the UN mission in West Irian was instrumental in preventing war between Indonesia and Portugal. The decisive action of our peacekeepers with UNTransitional Authority in Cambodia helped consolidate peace in that country while in Bosnia, they defended the UN safe area of Tuzla from the Serb ethnic-cleansing militias In Sierra Leone, our soldiers transformed an unsteady UN presence into a major UN success story. In Liberia, Pakistani troops are providing humanitarian and medical assistance to the local people and in the democratic Republic of Congo, they are engaged in giving security to thousands of civilians exposed to ethnic violence.
In cooperation with its UN partners, DPKO has undertaken contingency planning for possible new missions in Burundi, Haiti, Iraq and Sudan. Planning has also been underway for possible expansion of the peacekeeping operation in Cyprus and for a small mission in the Bakassi peninsula. The situation in Iraq is compelling the United States to pressurize the nations under its influence to send troops to face the Iraqi fighters and save American lives. The draft resolution presented by the United States and Britain in the Security Council recently is an attempt by these countries to win international backing for their post-occupation plans in Iraq and its authorisation of a multinational force to maintain peace.
However, our public opinion on this issue of sending troops to war-battered Iraq has not been in favour since Pakistan started receiving such requests and people are not prepared to face the loss of valuable lives of their personnel for the unjust cause. They very rightly believe that the lives of our soldiers are not less precious than the Iraqi occupiers and they should face all the consequences of their aggression. They believe that Iraqis, infuriated by the continuing American brutal operations are determined to target foreign elements, backing or working for occupiers. In such a situation mandate of the UN would be of no guarantee for the security of Pakistani troops deployed in highly disturbed country.
The writer is former Controller News, Radio Pakistan.
M Saeed Akhtar
The second International Day of the United Nations Peacekeepers was observed in Pakistan as in other parts of the world last Saturday to honour its establishment by the General Assembly in 2002 and pay homage to those who lost their lives for the cause of peace as well as those who have served or are serving peacekeeping operations. The second observance of the day comes at a moment of increasing demands around the world for the United Nations peacekeepers.
The preamble of the UN Charter expresses determination of the people of its members to save the succeeding generations from the scourge of wars and efforts are underway to achieve this objective of maintaining international peace and security through uniting their strength. Since 1948, the United Nations has deployed over 1.5 million peacekeepers in 57 missions, many in difficult zones with 1864 total fatalities in peacekeeping operations up to 30th April 2004. Presently, about 54,000 troops and police personnel are deployed in different missions and their number is likely to go well over 70000 by the end of this year.
The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations is currently fielding 15 missions in three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, western Sahara Cote d‘Iovire, Timor-Leste Cyprus,Georgia, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro Lebanon, Syrian Golan Heights and one political mission in Afghanistan
Ninety countries are contributing force to UN peacekeeping operations and as per latest position, the ten main troop-contributing countries are Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Ghana, Nepal, Uruguay, Jordan, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
Pakistan is the largest contributor of peacekeepers. Since 1960 it participated in 28 different peacekeeping missions gaining vast and rich experience. Today, in all 7697 of our troops and personnel are serving in eight peacekeeping missions in the three continents. This constitutes 13 per cent of global share. Sixty-six of our soldiers have laid down their lives while serving under the flag of the United Nations. In coming months Pakistan will send additional 1700 troops and other supporting personnel to new peace keeping missions, Burundi and cote d‘Ivoire (formerly Ivory Coast. This will take the total number of troops deployed to almost 10,000.
Pakistan’s record in UN peacekeeping has been impressive and immaculate and international community has duly acknowledged its contributions. Recently, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Pakistan troops have made the ultimate sacrifice in the voice of the world, peace and the United Nations. He believed it reflected determination among the Pakistani people to serve the world.
Pakistan firmly believes that the peace keeping operations should be well-conceived and well-executed with full international support and the goal of peacekeeping should not only be to separate the warring factions but to eliminate the root causes of conflict for ensuring durable peace and stability
Islamabad has proposed to establish a Peacekeeping Training Institute in Pakistan, which could be developed as centre of excellence for imparting professional training. The Security council at its special meeting on the 17th of this month recognised the need to draw on the expertise of experienced troop-contributing countries and called for the establishment of peacekeeping training centres for new and emerging troop contributors.
Pakistan has vital stake in the success of UN peacekeeping operations around the world but support for successful peacekeeping must come from both developed and developing countries, which must provide the women and women in uniform, the specialised military support services, the financial resources and the sustained commitment. The international community must prevent new flare-ups by investing time and funds in preparing post-conflict countries for democratic governance and economic development. Building peace from the ashes of war takes time and the international community must be willing to work with local institutions until they are ready to shoulder responsibility for the rule of law. Pakistan’s peacekeeping remains the most cost effective way of maintaining peace, preventing conflict and facilitating the transition from war to peace.
This is commendable that participation in the UN mission in West Irian was instrumental in preventing war between Indonesia and Portugal. The decisive action of our peacekeepers with UNTransitional Authority in Cambodia helped consolidate peace in that country while in Bosnia, they defended the UN safe area of Tuzla from the Serb ethnic-cleansing militias In Sierra Leone, our soldiers transformed an unsteady UN presence into a major UN success story. In Liberia, Pakistani troops are providing humanitarian and medical assistance to the local people and in the democratic Republic of Congo, they are engaged in giving security to thousands of civilians exposed to ethnic violence.
In cooperation with its UN partners, DPKO has undertaken contingency planning for possible new missions in Burundi, Haiti, Iraq and Sudan. Planning has also been underway for possible expansion of the peacekeeping operation in Cyprus and for a small mission in the Bakassi peninsula. The situation in Iraq is compelling the United States to pressurize the nations under its influence to send troops to face the Iraqi fighters and save American lives. The draft resolution presented by the United States and Britain in the Security Council recently is an attempt by these countries to win international backing for their post-occupation plans in Iraq and its authorisation of a multinational force to maintain peace.
However, our public opinion on this issue of sending troops to war-battered Iraq has not been in favour since Pakistan started receiving such requests and people are not prepared to face the loss of valuable lives of their personnel for the unjust cause. They very rightly believe that the lives of our soldiers are not less precious than the Iraqi occupiers and they should face all the consequences of their aggression. They believe that Iraqis, infuriated by the continuing American brutal operations are determined to target foreign elements, backing or working for occupiers. In such a situation mandate of the UN would be of no guarantee for the security of Pakistani troops deployed in highly disturbed country.
The writer is former Controller News, Radio Pakistan.