Latest news with #GlobalSouth
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Wang Yi ushers in new era of China-led mediation with Hong Kong-based legal body
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spearheaded a signing ceremony in Hong Kong on Friday to establish the world's first intergovernmental organisation dedicated to mediation, which he said would transcend 'you-lose-I-win' mindsets and improve representation of the Global South. Advertisement Most of the 33 signatories of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation were African countries, such as Algeria, Ethiopia and Cameroon. Alongside them were five countries – including Pakistan, Laos and Indonesia – from Asia, five from Latin America and the Caribbean, five from Oceania and two from Europe. Wang, China's top diplomat, said the new legal body would fill the 'institutional gap' in international mediation and serve as 'an important public good' in the field of the rule of law, ensuring better global governance. 'The birth of the mediation centre will help transcend the 'you-lose-I-win' zero-sum mentality, promote the amicable resolution of international disputes and foster more harmonious international relations,' Wang told the audience. The body's headquarters, located at the former Wan Chai Police Station, is due to open by the end of this year or early 2026. Advertisement Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the setting up of the organisation was increasingly important given the 'mounting geopolitical tensions' globally and protectionism that threatened to derail the international trade order.
NHK
4 hours ago
- Business
- NHK
China-led global body for dispute mediation to be established in Hong Kong
China has set up an international body to resolve disputes through mediation along with more than 30 countries, mainly those of the Global South. A signing ceremony was held in Hong Kong on Friday with 32 nations attending as founding members of the International Organization for Mediation, to be headquartered in the territory. The group comprises mainly developing nations in Africa and Asia with close ties to China. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the new organization is designed to make international dispute settlement mechanisms fairer and beneficial to all, and improve representation of the Global South in international governance. The Chinese government says the organization will work to resolve commercial and other international disputes. But it has not made it clear what cases the organization will handle or how it will operate. In 2016, China reacted sharply to a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The court dismissed China's claim to the South China Sea, which is also claimed by other countries in the region. China apparently aims to deepen ties with Global South nations and create an international order advantageous to itself amid escalating rivalry between Beijing and Washington.
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
India very important supporter of peacekeeping, says top UN official
India is a very important supporter of peacekeeping, including its support for various efforts such as its lead on efforts to ensure accountability for crimes against peacekeepers, the UN's top peacekeeping official has said. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix's comments came during a press briefing on Thursday on the occasion of International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. He had visited New Delhi to attend the first-ever Conference for Women Peacekeepers organised by India on February 24-25. 'Yes, I really wanted to go to New Delhi and to that conference,' Lacroix said in response to a question by PTI about the conference and his assessment of it. 'First of all, because India is a very important troop and police contributing country. It's also a very important supporter of peacekeeping, beyond the important contribution of men and women from India, but also in terms of supporting various efforts. I'm thinking in particular, but there are many other examples, of the lead from India on the accountability for crime against peacekeepers,' Lacroix said. The Delhi conference with the theme of 'Women in Peacekeeping: A Global South Perspective' was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK). It brought together women peacekeepers from 35 Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) from the Global South to discuss the evolving challenges in peacekeeping and the critical role women play in advancing peace and security. Lacroix added that the issue of women in peacekeeping has two dimensions. 'It's more women in peacekeeping, which guarantees a more effective peacekeeping, and it's more empowerment of women through peacekeeping, in terms of the role of women in political processes, their empowerment, making sure that they are part and parcel of all these peacebuilding and peacekeeping efforts,' he said. Noting that 'there is nothing ideological in this', the UN peacekeeping chief said it is 'just plain realism that women need to be fully involved and participating in all these efforts, and that's why we are continuing our effort to have more women in peacekeeping.' Accompanied by Acting Military Adviser of the United Nations Major General Cheryl Pearce at the briefing, Lacroix noted that the world organisation is 'doing good in terms of the numbers of women peacekeepers 'although we still have more to do". He added that UN peacekeeping is still having challenges in terms of the formed military units because the resources of member states are not so high. 'Also, in terms of senior female general, although, thankfully, we have an excellent example of that,' he said, referring to Pearce. 'But yes, we would want to have more senior female generals applying for positions of Force Commander and Deputy Force Commander. It's a work in progress,' he said. India is the 4th largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It currently deploys more than 5,300 military and police personnel to the UN peace operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Somalia, South Sudan, and Western Sahara. India was the first country to deploy an all-women Formed Police Unit to Liberia in 2007. In January 2023, India also deployed an all-women's platoon of peacekeepers as part of its battalion to the UN Mission in Abyei, the single largest deployment of women peacekeepers in recent years. In December 2022, India, during its presidency of the UN Security Council at the time, launched a 'Group of Friends' to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. India had also announced the launch of a new database designed to record crimes against Peacekeepers and monitor progress in holding perpetrators accountable.
The Hindu
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
India important supporter of peacekeeping: UN peacekeeping chief Lacroix
'India is a very important supporter of peacekeeping, including its support for various efforts, such as its lead on efforts to ensure accountability for crimes against peacekeepers,' the UN's top peacekeeping official Jean-Pierre Lacroix has said. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix's comments came during a press briefing on Thursday (May 29, 2025) on the occasion of International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. He had visited New Delhi to attend the first-ever Conference for Women Peacekeepers organised by India on February 24-25. 'Yes, I really wanted to go to New Delhi and to that conference,' Mr. Lacroix said in response to a question by PTI about the conference and his assessment of it. 'First of all, because India is a very important troop and police contributing country. It's also a very important supporter of peacekeeping, beyond the important contribution of men and women from India, but also in terms of supporting various efforts. I'm thinking in particular, but there are many other examples, of the lead from India on the accountability for crime against peacekeepers,' Mr. Lacroix said. The Delhi conference with the theme of 'Women in Peacekeeping: A Global South Perspective' was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK). It brought together women peacekeepers from 35 Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) from the Global South to discuss the evolving challenges in peacekeeping and the critical role women play in advancing peace and security. The official added that the issue of women in peacekeeping has two dimensions. 'It's more women in peacekeeping, which guarantees a more effective peacekeeping, and it's more empowerment of women through peacekeeping, in terms of the role of women in political processes, their empowerment, making sure that they are part and parcel of all these peacebuilding and peacekeeping efforts,' he said. Noting that 'there is nothing ideological in this', the UN peacekeeping chief said it is 'just plain realism that women need to be fully involved and participating in all these efforts, and that's why we are continuing our effort to have more women in peacekeeping.' Accompanied by Acting Military Advisor of the United Nations Major General Cheryl Pearce at the briefing, Mr. Lacroix noted that the world organisation is 'doing good in terms of the numbers of women peacekeepers 'although we still have more to do". He added that UN peacekeeping is still having challenges in terms of the formed military units because the resources of member states are not so high. 'Also, in terms of senior female general, although, thankfully, we have an excellent example of that,' he said, referring to Pearce. 'But yes, we would want to have more senior female generals applying for positions of Force Commander and Deputy Force Commander. It's a work in progress,' he said. India is the 4th largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It currently deploys more than 5,300 military and police personnel to the UN peace operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Somalia, South Sudan, and Western Sahara. India was the first country to deploy an all-women Formed Police Unit to Liberia in 2007. In January 2023, India also deployed an all-women's platoon of peacekeepers as part of its battalion to the UN Mission in Abyei, the single largest deployment of women peacekeepers in recent years. In December 2022, India, during its presidency of the UN Security Council at the time, launched a 'Group of Friends' to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. India had also announced the launch of a new database designed to record crimes against Peacekeepers and monitor progress in holding perpetrators accountable.
NDTV
9 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"India A Very Important Key Supporter Of Peacekeeping": UN Official
United Nations: India is a very important supporter of peacekeeping, including its support for various efforts such as its lead on efforts to ensure accountability for crimes against peacekeepers, the UN's top peacekeeping official has said. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix's comments came during a press briefing on Thursday on the occasion of International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. He had visited New Delhi to attend the first-ever Conference for Women Peacekeepers organised by India on February 24-25. "Yes, I really wanted to go to New Delhi and to that conference," Lacroix said in response to a question by PTI about the conference and his assessment of it. "First of all, because India is a very important troop and police contributing country. It's also a very important supporter of peacekeeping, beyond the important contribution of men and women from India, but also in terms of supporting various efforts. I'm thinking in particular, but there are many other examples, of the lead from India on the accountability for crime against peacekeepers," Lacroix said. The Delhi conference with the theme of 'Women in Peacekeeping: A Global South Perspective' was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK). It brought together women peacekeepers from 35 Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) from the Global South to discuss the evolving challenges in peacekeeping and the critical role women play in advancing peace and security. Lacroix added that the issue of women in peacekeeping has two dimensions. "It's more women in peacekeeping, which guarantees a more effective peacekeeping, and it's more empowerment of women through peacekeeping, in terms of the role of women in political processes, their empowerment, making sure that they are part and parcel of all these peacebuilding and peacekeeping efforts," he said. Noting that "there is nothing ideological in this", the UN peacekeeping chief said it is "just plain realism that women need to be fully involved and participating in all these efforts, and that's why we are continuing our effort to have more women in peacekeeping." Accompanied by Acting Military Adviser of the United Nations Major General Cheryl Pearce at the briefing, Lacroix noted that the world organisation is "doing good in terms of the numbers of women peacekeepers "although we still have more to do". He added that UN peacekeeping is still having challenges in terms of the formed military units because the resources of member states are not so high. "Also, in terms of senior female general, although, thankfully, we have an excellent example of that," he said, referring to Pearce. "But yes, we would want to have more senior female generals applying for positions of Force Commander and Deputy Force Commander. It's a work in progress," he said. India is the 4th largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It currently deploys more than 5,300 military and police personnel to the UN peace operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Somalia, South Sudan, and Western Sahara. India was the first country to deploy an all-women Formed Police Unit to Liberia in 2007. In January 2023, India also deployed an all-women's platoon of peacekeepers as part of its battalion to the UN Mission in Abyei, the single largest deployment of women peacekeepers in recent years. In December 2022, India, during its presidency of the UN Security Council at the time, launched a 'Group of Friends' to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. India had also announced the launch of a new database designed to record crimes against Peacekeepers and monitor progress in holding perpetrators accountable.
