Latest news with #InternationalDayofUnitedNationsPeacekeepers
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Two Indian peacekeepers honoured posthumously for sacrifice in line of duty on International Peacekeepers Day
Two Indian peacekeepers, who lost their lives while serving under the UN flag last year, were honoured posthumously by the United Nations on International Day of UN Peacekeepers. Brigadier General Amitabh Jha, who served with the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), and Havildar Sanjay Singh, who was deployed with the UN Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), were honoured with the Dag Hammarskjold medal at a solemn ceremony here on Thursday on the occasion of International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish received the Dag Hammarskjold Medal on behalf of the families of fallen Indian Peacekeepers from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the solemn ceremony in the UN headquarters. 'The departed peacekeepers remind us of the sacrifices made for the greater and collective good of humanity. Blue Helmets continue to be the face of the United Nations in crises all over the world, bringing peace and reassurance to those most critically affected. UN Peacekeeping is true multilateralism in action,' the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a post on X. India also 'remembered late Brigadier Amitabh Jha (UNDOF), Havildar Sanjay Singh (MONUSCO) & Col (Retd.) Waibhav Anil Kale whom we lost last year.' 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. Guterres laid a wreath to honour the more than 4,400 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948. He then presided over the solemn ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medals were awarded posthumously to 57 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers, who lost their lives serving under the UN flag last year. The Secretary-General also presented awards to the 2024 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme from Ghana and the UN Woman Police Officer of the Year award to Superintendent Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone. Both of them serve with the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA). Last year, Major Radhika Sen, who served with the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), received the prestigious '2023 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award' from Guterres. The theme for this year's International Day of UN Peacekeepers is the 'Future of Peacekeeping', which emphasises that the 'Pact for the Future' – adopted by world leaders in September last year – includes a commitment to adapt peacekeeping to the changing world, the release added. In his message for the Day, Guterres said that 'today, peacekeepers face increasingly complex situations in an increasingly complex world… Now more than ever, the world needs the United Nations — and the United Nations needs peacekeeping that is fully equipped for today's realities and tomorrow's challenges.' Honouring the service of the peacekeepers, Guterres said, 'We draw inspiration from their resilience, dedication and courage. And we remember all the brave women and men who made the ultimate sacrifice for peace. We will never forget them – and we will carry their work forward.' Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said in his message that peacekeeping personnel are 'our most important capability. The sacrifices made by our peacekeepers call for more than remembrance; they demand action.' 'Throughout its history, peacekeeping has always adapted to ever-changing contexts to achieve results. The future of peacekeeping hinges on our collective commitment to continue to adapt and invest—so we can continue delivering hope and protection where it's needed most,' he added. The International Day of UN Peacekeepers was established by the UN General Assembly in 2002 to pay tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. In 1948, the decision was made to deploy military observers to the Middle East to supervise the implementation of Israel-Arab Armistice Agreements, in what became the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation. Since then, more than two million peacekeepers have served in 71 operations globally. Today, about 68,000 women and men serve as military, police and civilian personnel in 11 conflict zones across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and 119 countries currently contribute uniformed personnel.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business Standard
LIVE news updates: Pakistan began pleading with entire world to stop India, says Rajnath Singh
Today's top news: In a landmark moment, the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune saw its first cohort of 17 women cadets graduate on Friday, alongside more than 300 male cadets. This marks the successful completion of the NDA's inaugural co-educational batch. The cadets passed through the symbolic 'Antim Pag' at the Khetrpal Parade Ground, a key ceremonial tradition at the tri-service training academy, often referred to as the cradle of military leadership. These women cadets were admitted to the NDA's 148th course in 2022 after a Supreme Court directive in 2021 led the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to open applications to female candidates. India plays a pivotal role in supporting United Nations peacekeeping missions, including efforts to promote accountability for crimes committed against peacekeepers, according to Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. Lacroix made the remarks at a press briefing on Thursday, held in observance of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. 11:58 AM Eminent Kannada poet HS Venkatesha Murthy no more Acclaimed Kannada poet and playwright H S Venkatesha Murthy, widely known as HSV, died at a private hospital here on Friday, Murthy was 80. He had been suffering from age-related ailments. He is survived by four sons, they said. He was a prolific writer, who contributed significantly to Kannada literature as an essayist, playwright, novelist, children's literature author, translator, critic, poet, and film song-story-dialogue writer. 11:17 AM Vehicle skids off road in J-K, eight police personnel At least eight police personnel were injured on Friday as their vehicle skidded off the road in Uri area of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, officials said. The injured police personnel were rushed to sub district hospital Uri, they said, adding their condition was stated to be stable. 11:11 AM CBI arrests deputy director of ED in bribery case The CBI has arrested Deputy Director of Enforcement Directorate in Odisha, Chintan Raghuvanshi, in connection with an alleged bribery case, officials said Friday. The agency had conducted a trap operation on Thursday on getting inputs that the officer was allegedly going to take the bribe amount of Rs 20 lakh from a Bhubaneswar-based mining businessman, they said.
Hindustan Times
3 days 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
3 days 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
3 days 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.
