Why in news?

• On May 29, the Indian Army commemorated the 75th International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
• On this day, India also announced that it will organize two initiatives later this year for women personnel from South East Asia as part of defence cooperation with ASEAN.
  • This announcement follows Indian Defence Minister’s suggestion last year to focus on "women in United Nations Peacekeeping (UNPK) operations" as an important initiative.

What’s in today’s article?

• United Nations Peacekeeping (UNPK) operations
• News Summary

UN Peacekeeping

• The UN Charter gives the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
• In fulfilling this responsibility, the Council can establish a UN peace operation.

Peacekeeping mandates

• UN peace operations are deployed on the basis of mandates from the United Nations Security Council.
• These mandates differ from situation to situation, depending on the nature of the conflict and the specific challenges it presents.
• Depending on their mandate, peace operations may be required to:
  • Deploy to prevent the outbreak of conflict or the spill-over of conflict across borders;
  • Stabilize conflict situations after a ceasefire;
  • Assist in implementing comprehensive peace agreements;
  • Lead states or territories through a transition to stable government, based on democratic principles, good governance and economic development.

Principles

• There are three basic principles that continue to set UN peacekeeping operations apart as a tool for maintaining international peace and security. These are:
  • Consent of the parties
    • In the absence of such consent, a peacekeeping operation risks becoming a party to the conflict; and being drawn towards enforcement action.
  • Impartiality
    • Peacekeepers should be impartial in their dealings with the parties to the conflict, but not neutral in the execution of their mandate.
  • Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate

Successes

• Since 1948, the UN has helped end conflicts and foster reconciliation by conducting successful peacekeeping operations in dozens of countries, including Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mozambique, Namibia and Tajikistan.
• UN peacekeeping has also made a real difference in other places with recently completed or on-going operations such as Sierra Leone, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Timor-Leste, Liberia, Haiti and Kosovo.
• In other instances, however, UN peacekeeping have been challenged and found wanting, for instance in Somalia, Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
• Overall, UN Peacekeeping Forces have an impressive record of peacekeeping achievements, including winning the Nobel Peace Prize (1988).

India’s contribution in peacekeeping missions

• Current status
  • India is one of the largest troop contributing nation to UNPK.
  • Currently, India has around 5,900 troops deployed in 12 U.N. Missions.
  • India’s contribution to the peacekeeping budget stands at 0.16%.
• Contribution so far
  • India has been actively participating in peacekeeping right from 1950 when it supplied medical personnel and troops to the UN Repatriation Commission in Korea.
  • India has contributed approximately 2,75,000 troops to peacekeeping missions so far and 159 Indian Army soldiers have lost their lives across the globe.
• Joint training of U.N. peacekeepers from African countries
  • In 2016, India and the U.S. had begun an annual training programme for joint training of U.N. peacekeepers from African countries.
• Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK)
  • Indian Army has established a CUNPK in New Delhi to impart training in peacekeeping operations and the Centre trains more than 12,000 troops every year.
• Women deployment
  • India has deployed Female Engagement Teams in United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei.
    • This is the second largest women contingent after Liberia.
  • India has also deployed Women Military Police in United Nations Disengagement Observer Force and women staff officers and military observers in various missions.
• Other contributions
  • In August 2021, India, in collaboration with the UN launched UNITE AWARE platform.
    • It is a technology platform to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers.
  • India has also proposed a 10-point plan, including making those targeting UN peacekeepers more accountable.
  • It also suggested to build a memorial wall to honour peacekeepers.

News Summary

• To further expand the India-ASEAN ties,the Raksha Mantri had announced initiatives for Women in UN Peace Keeping Operations.
  • These proposals were made at the inaugural India-ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting held in November 2022 at Siem Reap, Cambodia, to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of India-ASEAN relations.
• As part of this announcement, India is set to conduct two initiatives for women personnel from South East Asia later this year.

Initiatives under the India-ASEAN Initiative for women in UNPK operations

• Courses for women peacekeepers of ASEAN member-states
  • One of the initiatives includes conducting of tailor-made courses for women peacekeepers of ASEAN member-states at the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK) in India this September.
    • The Indian Army has established CUNPK (in 2000) in New Delhi to impart niche training in peacekeeping operations.
  • In all 20 peacekeepers, two from each country, would be trained.
• Table Top Exercise for women officers from ASEAN
  • The other initiative is a ‘Table Top Exercise’ for women officers from ASEAN incorporating facets of UNPK challenges to be conducted in December.