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India considers committing aviation assets as UN faces shortage of critical enablers

India has also pledged an Infantry Battalion, an Engineer Company and a Signal Company which is at Level 3 of Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System (PCRS).

PTI | Jul 14, 2019, 02.41 PM IST
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India said it is considering to commit aviation assets to help UN enhance its peacekeeping capabilities as the world organisation faces shortage of critical enablers such as rapidly deployable forces, engineer companies and medical services for its peacekeeping operations.

Addressing the UN Chiefs of Defence Conference here on Thursday, Vice Chief Of Army Staff Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu said India has deployed four hospitals, one Engineer Company and a Signal Company in various UN missions.

India has also pledged an Infantry Battalion, an Engineer Company and a Signal Company which is at Level 3 of Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System (PCRS).

"As we understand that UN is facing shortage of critical enablers such as rapidly deployable forces, francophone troops, aviation assets, engineer companies and medical services... the issue of committing aviation assets is presently under consideration," Anbu said.

Senior military officials from over 110 member states and regional organisations, including 56 chiefs of defence staff, participated in the two-day third biennial Chiefs of Defence Conference at the UN headquarters in New York on July 10 and July 11.

The theme for this year's conference was 'Generating Capabilities to Meet High-Performance Requirements' in UN peacekeeping.

The conference aimed at exchanging information with member states and generate solutions to issues related to specialised capabilities and gaps, performance, training and expanding the role of women in UN operations.

Anbu also met Under-Secretary General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Under Secretary General for Operational Support Atul Khare.

India has been providing training facilities for conduct of UN courses, joint exercises and mobile training teams.

India has also incorporated jungle warfare qualified troops as part of contingents who are likely to induct in the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in August 2019.

Underlining the world body's efforts to increase participation of women peacekeepers in UN missions, Anbu said India is committed to the 'Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy' and had complied to the UN requirement of deploying 15 per cent women staff officers and military observers in 2017.

"Presently, 21 women officers are deployed in UN missions and 26 women officers will be deployed by December 2019," he said.

India has already deployed a Female Engagement Team (FET) in MONUSCO to increase women participation as part of contingents last month.

On the issue of improvement in performance, training, capacity building and equipment, the highly-decorated Indian Army officer said India is committed to supporting the UN in its efforts to improve the performance of peacekeeping and capacity building.

"On this aspect, A4P initiative provides an ideal platform," Anbu said, adding that the Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK) in India has been a flag bearer for imparting quality instructors in the field of UN peacekeeping training.

India has been conducting UN related courses like Female Military Officers Course (FMOC), Senior Mission Leaders' Course (SMLC) and Conflict related Sexual Violence (CRSV).

On the aspect of Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), India is funding the Pipeline for Peacekeeping Command Programme which is aimed at training commanders and managers in prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, he said.

India had also conducted a Joint Field Training Exercise on UN Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO) and Humanitarian Mine Assistance (HMA) with 19 countries as part of ASEAN Defence Ministers Meet (ADMM) Plus in February 2016.

This year, India conducted the Joint Field Training Exercise on UNPKO and HMA with 17 African Countries in March 2019, besides conducting bilateral Army Exercises with Myanmar, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Cambodia and Kyrgyzstan, Anbu said.

India considers committing aviation assets as UN faces shortage of critical enablers
 
Indian peacekeepers in Haiti win laurels for exemplary service, professionalism

PTI
United Nations:,July 30, 2019 10:42 IST
Updated:July 30, 2019 10:59 IST
UNSC

A United Nations logo is seen on a glass door in the Assembly Building at the United Nations headquarters in New York City September 18, 2015. | Photo Credit: Reuters

The Indian Formed Police Unit consisted 140 personnel from Assam Rifles, India’s 184-year-old paramilitary force

Indian peacekeepers, who supported the Haitian Police for over a decade and are departing from Haiti as the UN mission closes in October, have won laurels for their commendable service and for going beyond the call of duty to serve the people in the Caribbean country.

The Indian Formed Police Unit (FPU), deployed with the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), consisted 140 personnel from Assam Rifles, India’s 184-year-old paramilitary force.

Of the total 140 Indian peacekeepers, 126 officers left Haiti on July 21, following the closing of operations of the last Indian contingent in the Caribbean country.

The remaining 14 Indian officers will depart on August 3, ending 11 years of continuous presence of Indian police on the Haitian territory in support of the Haitian National Police (HNP), since the arrival of their first contingent as part of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) in 2008.

Largest contributor of military personnel

“The Indian peacekeepers deployed in Haiti have performed their duties very well. We have helped and provided training to the Haitian Police through joint exercises. Haitian personnel, including the Police Commissioner have appreciated our work,” Indian FPU Commander Colonel Chatter Singh told PTI.

Between 2008 and 2019, a total of 3,260 Indian policemen served alongside Haitian police in interventions such as law enforcement, joint patrols, checkpoints and the escort of humanitarian aid convoys in areas affected by the natural disasters.

India is the 4th largest contributor of military personnel and police to United Nations peacekeeping operations, with 6,322 officers deployed in various UN missions around the world as of June 30 this year.

In total, India has provided more than 200,000 military personnel to UN peacekeeping operations over the past 70 years.

“The lessons learnt from our deployment with the UN mission in Haiti will help us in future assignments as well” Mr. Singh said.

The departure of the 140 police officers from the Indian FPU, who arrived in August 2018 and were deployed in Port-au-Prince, is part of the gradual withdrawal of the last four formed police units from MINUJUSTH before October 15, 2019, the date set by the UN Security Council for the planned closure of the mission.

This will put an end to 15 years of United Nations peacekeeping operations in Haiti. The Rwandan, Jordanian and Senegalese contingents will be the last formed police units to leave the territory.

United Nations medal

Starting from October 16, with a new configuration without the presence of peacekeepers on the ground, the United Nations will continue to support the implementation of the HNP Strategic Development Plan 2017-2021 through the technical and advisory support to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).

The 140 Indian peacekeepers were awarded the United Nations medal in recognition of their work during a closing ceremony earlier this month in presence of the representatives of the Haitian National Police and those of the police component of MINUJUSTH.

Mr. Singh said the Indian contingent carried out numerous operations related to the MINUJUSTH mandate, including joint patrols of Indian police with those of the HNP and individual police officers, static security missions, visibility patrols, joint operations, police escorts, rapid reaction forces.

The Indian peacekeepers went above and beyond their call of duty and their humanitarian work for the Haitian people and were widely appreciated by the local authorities, Mr. Singh said.

The Indian contingent provided books and other essential items to institutions such as the Enfant-Jesus of Prague orphanage in Port-au-Prince and donated about 70 units of blood on the occasion of Indian national holidays such as the Independence Day and the Republic Day.

“MINUJUSTH recognizes India’s contribution to Haiti and sincerely thanks it. The Indian police have made successful efforts to fulfill this peace mission,” said the Commander of the Police Component of the Mission, Commissioner Serge Therriault, present at the closing ceremony. Singh also said the Indian contingent did not suffer any casualties during the deployment. “Our hope for the Haitian people is that they carry forward their culture and work hard for the prosperity and development of the country so that the Haitian flag flies high,” Mr. Singh said.

“In recognition of the exemplary service and valuable contribution he has offered to MINUJUSTH, Colonel Singh deserves to be congratulated,” said a congratulatory certificate and appreciation letter presented to Singh by Therriault. He said he was proud that there were no disciplinary case against any Indian peacekeeper and “we completed our mission successfully, with dignity and respect.”

So far, 168 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty in various UN missions. Singh underscored that nations should remember the sacrifices made by peacekeepers through memorials. “They have given their life, made the supreme sacrifice. For a nation’s better tomorrow, they have given their today,” he said.

Indian peacekeepers in Haiti win laurels for exemplary service, professionalism
 
UNO should thow out states that have not made the full payment from the UNSC and UNGA....Late payees should not be members of the UNSC.
 
we can make up for it by charging exorbitant re-entry fee from states wishing to rejoin the UNO.
Assuming they want to re-enter at all. UN doesn't do much of anything you know. There is no crying need to re-join it once dishonorably removed.
India can make this nice little racket turn profitable for the UNO.
Who put us in charge of UN budget ?
 
Assuming they want to re-enter at all. UN doesn't do much of anything you know. There is no crying need to re-join it once dishonorably removed.

Who put us in charge of UN budget ?

Well if they don't want to rejoin its fine, we can appoint appoint UN peace ambassadors who are willing to pay for the privilege. All those rich celebrity peace ambassadors globe trotting under the UN banner know the value of its bragging rights. Rich Pakistani aunties who think they really can make the difference as peace ambassadors , would be given preferential appointments depending on how generous they are with the purse strings .

According to that sorry looking map, US will be out of the UNO and Russia, China, UK and France would be out of the UNSC. That leaves India , the only major honest power in the UNSC to take up the burden of restructung the UNSC. We would reluctantly accept this moral obligation imposed upon us.
 
Well if they don't want to rejoin its fine, we can appoint appoint UN peace ambassadors who are willing to pay for the privilege. All those rich celebrity peace ambassadors globe trotting under the UN banner know the value of its bragging rights. Rich Pakistani aunties who think they really can make the difference as peace ambassadors , would be given preferential appointments depending on how generous they are with the purse strings .

According to that sorry looking map, US will be out of the UNO and Russia, China, UK and France would be out of the UNSC. That leaves India , the only major honest power in the UNSC to take up the burden of restructung the UNSC. We would reluctantly accept this moral obligation imposed upon us.
UN is yet to pay us for the peace keeping duties by our soldiers. Its not a large sum of money but still we haven't been paid yet. There has been many instances in the past where the UN hasn't been fair to us and we were one of the founding members of UN. I am not sure they deserve more investments(not just money but time & effort) from us.

The way you described it is not really how things work. Even if it did, I am not sure if UN is a worthy platform. We are better off finding some other avenues to enhance our national power
 
UN is yet to pay us for the peace keeping duties by our soldiers. Its not a large sum of money but still we haven't been paid yet. There has been many instances in the past where the UN hasn't been fair to us and we were one of the founding members of UN. I am not sure they deserve more investments(not just money but time & effort) from us.

The way you described it is not really how things work. Even if it did, I am not sure if UN is a worthy platform. We are better off finding some other avenues to enhance our national power

On the serious note, we may be disappointed with the UN but it is still the ultimate platform for power projection for a world power. There is no equivalence to the bragging rights that the UNSC permanent member status brings.....
 
There is no equivalence to the bragging rights that the UNSC permanent member status brings
A decade or so ago I'd have agreed with you here. But today this isn't really the case.

For all the bragging rights they would merrily fight each other over a trade/defence deal. I remember the MMRCA-1 in its final stages, the then French President Hollande remarked how UK doesn't have a much of a defence industry and thus India should buy Rafales. To which the then British PM Cameron hit back saying Brits never ran away from fighting unlike the French or something like that, I don't remember exactly. The point is, here you have the leaders of two permanent members of UNSC fighting over who gets to sell a few planes to a third world country.

More recently we had the US and Russians going at each other over who gets to sell AD missile systems to India. You know what I take home from all this ? Money talks. Every time to everybody.

As a famous movie once taught us :

" Baap bara na bhaiya
Sabse bara Rupaiya "