Latest news with #PeacekeepingMinisterial2025
The Star
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Brunei attends UN peacekeeping ministerial meeting in Berlin
Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Defence II Major General (Rtd) Datuk Paduka Seri Awang Halbi Mohd Yussof with his counterparts and other top officials from different nations and the UN. - Photo: MinDef BERLIN: Brunei Darussalam participated in the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, held from May 13 to 14 in Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany. Leading the delegation was Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Defence II Major General (Rtd) Datuk Paduka Seri Awang Halbi Mohd Yussof. The delegation included senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was accompanied by Brunei Darussalam's Ambassador to Germany Pengiran Krtini Pengiran Mohd Tahir. The ministerial meeting, part of a continuing series of high-level peacekeeping dialogues since 2014, brought together 54 ministers, 15 deputy ministers, and representatives from 133 UN member states. This year's theme, 'The Future of Peacekeeping', focused on enhancing peacekeeping mandates, addressing capability gaps, increasing the use of technology, and reinforcing the safety and effectiveness of UN operations. The opening ceremony featured addresses by Foreign Minister of Germany Johann Wadephul; Defence Minister of Germany Boris Pistorius, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Throughout the conference, the Minister of Defence II engaged in discussions with key counterparts including the Defence Minister of Germany and Minister of National Defence of the People's Republic of China Admiral Dong Jun. He also met with Asean and international counterparts to strengthen regional cooperation in peace and security. Brunei Darussalam remains a committed supporter of global peacekeeping initiatives. The nation first contributed to UN peacekeeping in 1993 under the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). Since 2008, the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) have joined the Malaysian Armed Forces as part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Brunei has also served on the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C34) since 2017. At the closing on Wednesday (May 14), Germany announced that 74 countries had made pledges to modernise peace operations and bridge capability gaps, reflecting strong international commitment to peacekeeping reform. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
The Star
15-05-2025
- General
- The Star
M'sia gets UN award for women's participation in peacekeeping missions
Lt-Gen Azhan (right) receiving the award in Berlin. – BERNAMApic BERLIN: Malaysia has received an award recognising the participation of women in peacekeeping missions at the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 forum here. The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) Headquarters said in a statement on Thursday (May 15) that the award recognises the operational deployment and involvement of women peacekeepers from the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), which met the targets set by the Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy (UGPS). ALSO READ: M'sia calls for reforms of UN peacekeeping ops It said Malaysia is among the countries that advocate the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, adding that 10.5% of the total peacekeeping mission personnel for Malbatt Unifil are women. "Besides Unifil, the MAF has also deployed women peacekeepers as military observers and staff for Monusco (UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Minurso (UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara), and Unisfa (UN Interim Security Force for Abyei)," the statement read. The MAF said the award recognises Malaysia's contribution to upholding international peace and security on the global stage. ALSO READ: Malaysia reaffirms commitment to global peace Other recipients are Fiji, Guatemala, Kenya, Malawi, Mongolia and Tanzania. MAF Headquarters chief of staff Lt-Gen Datuk Azhan Md Othman and military adviser to the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the UN, Colonel Shamsuri Noordin, attended the awards ceremony. On Wednesday (May 14), Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin reaffirmed the country's continued commitment to supporting the WPS agenda in line with the UGPS. – Bernama
The Star
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Malaysia and Italy to forge strategic defence partnership
BERLIN: Malaysia and Italy have agreed to initiate a strategic partnership in the defence sector, including a proposed government-to-government MOU on asset procurement. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who disclosed this, said his bilateral meeting with Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto held on the sidelines of the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 meet here marked the first engagement of its kind. He said the meeting was initiated at Italy's request, signalling its interest in deepening defence ties with Malaysia. 'Malaysia welcomes Italy's intention and sees it as an opportunity to enhance defence relations not only through asset procurement, but also through strategic cooperation, including technology transfer that truly benefits the development of our local defence industry,' he said when met here, Bernama reported. According to Khaled, Malaysia previously procured military assets from Italy but now wanted to build on that relationship to pave the way for more meaningful collaboration, mainly in terms of local capability development. 'We want every procurement to come with effective technology transfer, not just symbolic gestures. This is crucial to ensure we are not merely end users but also capable of developing our own defence industry,' he said. Khaled added that Italy also expressed interest in government-to-government acquisitions, which was proven to be more transparent, cost-effective and offered stronger guarantees for the recipient country. He said such arrangements enabled the country to avoid third-party interference, while the supplying government can provide direct assurance in cases of delays or failure to deliver assets. As comparison, he said Malaysia already has a similar procurement agreement with Turkiye and is considering it with South Korea too. 'That is why we scrutinise every proposal carefully and assess the sincerity of our partner countries – not just in terms of pricing, but also their willingness to share technology and establish long-term collaboration,' he said.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Malaysia reaffirm commitment to global peace
BERLIN: Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to global peace and stability through a series of significant pledges at the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, held in Federal Foreign Office, here. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin representing Malaysia at the high-level event, announced that the country would bolster its involvement in future peacekeeping missions, strengthening its contributions across military, police and humanitarian operations. In his address, Mohamed Khaled highlighted Malaysia's long-standing role in international peacekeeping since 1960, participating in more than 38 peacekeeping operations worldwide, and currently has 876 personnel serving under the UN flag. 'We reaffirm our commitment to UN peacekeeping efforts and therefore would like to announce Malaysia's new and continued pledges to the United Nations,' he said during his statement for the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, here today. He said among the new commitments, Malaysia would prepare one Infantry Battalion for future peacekeeping missions under the UN mandate. Mohamed Khaled said the Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) would be augmented with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) capability to enhance their operations under the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). 'The Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre (MPC) will also continue organising international peacekeeping courses. In 2025, it will host a Training of Trainers course for the UN Staff Officers Specialised Training Materials, scheduled in November. 'Malaysia also remains committed to supporting Women, Peace, and Security agenda in line with Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy (UGPS),' he said. He said Malaysia would also prepare Mobile Training Teams (MTT) for Basic Life Support and Mental Health Awareness, together with Medical Support Planner and provide training for medical personnels in any peacekeeping missions under the UN mandate upon request. While for UN Police deployment, Mohamed Khaled said Malaysia would prepare a Formed Police Unit (FPU) and continue deploying Individual Police Officers (IPO) for the UN peacekeeping missions. 'I conclude by reaffirming Malaysia's unwavering support to the UN Peacekeeping agenda and commitment to preserving world peace,' he said. The biannual forum brings together the country's top leaders and officials who support the security mission under the UN, with Mohamed Khaled taking the opportunity to voice his views and renew the country's commitment to supporting the global security effort. Meanwhile, when met, Mohamed Khaled said the role of the UN is very important as a platform for cooperation among various countries, especially during conflicts in a country. 'We can see when a conflict occurs anywhere, in a borderless world, it will certainly affect all countries, the entire world. So with the existence of the UN, it becomes a platform where all countries can cooperate and coordinate efforts that can contribute to achieving goals, especially in ensuring that peace is maintained,' he said. Mohamed Khaled, who arrived in the German capital last Monday to attend the two-day forum immediately after a two-day working visit to Italy, departed at 6:45 pm local time.
The Star
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Malaysia reaffirms commitment to global peace
BERLIN (Germany), May 13 -- Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin attends the two-day United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 Forum on Tuesday. --fotoBERNAMA (2025) COPYRIGHT RESERVED BERLIN: Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to global peace and stability through a series of significant pledges at the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, held in Federal Foreign Office, here. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, representing Malaysia at the high-level event, announced that the country would bolster its involvement in future peacekeeping missions, strengthening its contributions across military, police and humanitarian operations. In his address, Khaled highlighted Malaysia's long-standing role in international peacekeeping since 1960, participating in more than 38 peacekeeping operations worldwide, and currently has 876 personnel serving under the UN flag. "We reaffirm our commitment to UN peacekeeping efforts and therefore would like to announce Malaysia's new and continued pledges to the United Nations," he said during his statement for the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, here on Wednesday (May 14). He said among the new commitments, Malaysia would prepare one Infantry Battalion for future peacekeeping missions under the UN mandate. Khaled said the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) would be augmented with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) capability to enhance their operations under the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil). "The Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre (MPC) will also continue organising international peacekeeping courses. In 2025, it will host a Training of Trainers course for the UN Staff Officers Specialised Training Materials, scheduled in November. "Malaysia also remains committed to supporting Women, Peace, and Security agenda in line with Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy (UGPS)," he said. He said Malaysia would also prepare Mobile Training Teams (MTT) for Basic Life Support and Mental Health Awareness, together with Medical Support Planner and provide training for medical personnel in any peacekeeping missions under the UN mandate upon request. While for UN Police deployment, Mohamed Khaled said Malaysia would prepare a Formed Police Unit (FPU) and continue deploying Individual Police Officers (IPO) for the UN peacekeeping missions. "I conclude by reaffirming Malaysia's unwavering support to the UN Peacekeeping agenda and commitment to preserving world peace," he said. The biannual forum brings together the country's top leaders and officials who support the security mission under the United Nations, with Khaled taking the opportunity to voice his views and renew the country's commitment to supporting the global security effort. Meanwhile, when met, Mohamed Khaled said the role of the United Nations was crucial as a platform for cooperation among various countries, especially during conflicts in a country. "We can see when a conflict occurs anywhere, in a borderless world, it will certainly affect all countries, the entire world. So with the existence of the UN, it becomes a platform where all countries can cooperate and coordinate efforts that can contribute to achieving goals, especially in ensuring that peace is maintained," he said. Khaled, who arrived in the German capital last Monday to attend the two-day forum immediately after a two-day working visit to Italy, departed at 6.45pm local time.- Bernama
