Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Masood Khan on Monday called for strengthening field security coverage for UN peacekeepers serving in hotspots around the world, saying they were faced with emerging threats related to terrorism and transnational crime.
“Over the last 10 years, we have lost, on the average, 120 peacekeepers every year. This means a peacekeeper is killed in UN operations every third day,” he said while opening a meeting of the Security Council’s Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations.
Ambassador Masood Khan, who is the chairman of the group, cited the recent death of Pakistani peacekeeping Subedar Tanveer Hussain in Democratic Republic of Congo, saying, “Let us remember the sacrifice of each individual. We feel the loss of each one of the peacekeepers.”
The Pakistani envoy welcomed efforts by the UN Secretariat to strengthen field security coverage, thereby improving safety and security of all military, police and civilian peacekeepers.
“Its work in professional risk management and its investment in safety apparatus mitigate imminent threats.” he said. “For the Security Council, it is important to address all concerns on safety and security during mandate formation,” he said. “As we grapple with challenging security contexts in the midst of emerging threats related to terrorism and transnational crime, safety of peacekeepers should appear even more prominently in the council’s documents, authorising the relevant peacekeeping mandates.”
For the countries hosting UN peacekeepers, Masood Khan emphasised the need for adhering to conventions and protocols on safety of personnel.
He also called for taking stock of the evolving trends in peacekeeping with ideas of robust and peace enforcement mandate, which may directly impact safety and security. “Introduction of UN Intervention Brigade and actions by rebels through targeted ambushes … needs to be carefully examined,” he said.
“Frequent targeting of peacekeepers warrants elaborate and effective security mechanisms,” the Pakistani envoy added.
