Why in news?
- The Indian contingent, which consists of two officers and 25 other ranks, will work as a platoon in an engagement and specialise in community outreach in addition to carrying out numerous security-related duties.
- This time India is deploying the largest single unit of female Blue Helmets in a UN mission since 2007.
What is UNISFA?
- It was established by the UN Security Council in response to the critical situation in the Abyei area of Sudan by resolution 1990 of 27 June 2011.
- Resolution 1990 made provision for the deployment of 4,200 Ethiopian troops to provide security and protect civilians under imminent threat of violence in the disputed border region.
What is United Nations Peacekeeping Mission?
- This Peacekeeping operation is policing and peacebuilding actions carried out by the UN to bring order and stability to war-torn nations.
- The UN Peacekeepers are known as ‘Blue Helmets’ or ‘Blue Berets’.
- Peacekeepers are the military personnel of the UN that work alongside the UN Police and civilian colleagues to promote “stability, security, and peace processes”.
- Origin: When the UN Security Council approved the deployment of UN military observers to the Middle East in 1948, the UN Peacekeeping Forces were established.
- Nodal Agency: The United Nations Charter authorises the United Nations Security Council to take collective action to maintain international peace and security.
- Structure: The UN Peacekeeping force is supplemented by personnel from member nations. They are added to the force on a volunteer basis.
- India’s role: India is one of the largest troop-contributing nations to the U.N. peacekeeping missions. India is the second-highest military and fifth-highest police contributing country to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
