UN Peacekeeping: Mandate and Principles

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is UN Peacekeeping?
• What are the mandates of UN Peacekeeping?
• What are the Principles of UN Peacekeeping?
• Successes of UN Peacekeeping
• India’s contribution in peacekeeping missions
• News Summary: India to train ASEAN women in United Nations Peacekeeping operations
• Initiatives under the India-ASEAN Initiative for women in UNPK operations

 

Why in news?

• On May 29, the Indian Army commemorated the 75th International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
• On this day, India also announced that it will organize two initiatives later this year for women personnel from South East Asia as part of defence cooperation with ASEAN.
  • This announcement follows Indian Defence Minister’s suggestion last year to focus on "women in United Nations Peacekeeping (UNPK) operations" as an important initiative.

 

What is UN Peacekeeping?

• The UN Charter gives the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
• In fulfilling this responsibility, the Council can establish a UN peace operation.

 

What are the mandates of UN Peacekeeping?

• UN peace operations are deployed on the basis of mandates from the United Nations Security Council.
• These mandates differ from situation to situation, depending on the nature of the conflict and the specific challenges it presents.
• Depending on their mandate, peace operations may be required to:
  • Deploy to prevent the outbreak of conflict or the spill-over of conflict across borders;
  • Stabilize conflict situations after a ceasefire;
  • Assist in implementing comprehensive peace agreements;
  • Lead states or territories through a transition to stable government, based on democratic principles, good governance and economic development.

 

What are the Principles of UN Peacekeeping?

• There are three basic principles that continue to set UN peacekeeping operations apart as a tool for maintaining international peace and security. These are:
  • Consent of the parties
    • In the absence of such consent, a peacekeeping operation risks becoming a party to the conflict; and being drawn towards enforcement action.
  • Impartiality
    • Peacekeepers should be impartial in their dealings with the parties to the conflict, but not neutral in the execution of their mandate.
  • Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate

 

Successes of UN Peacekeeping

• Since 1948, the UN has helped end conflicts and foster reconciliation by conducting successful peacekeeping operations in dozens of countries, including Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mozambique, Namibia and Tajikistan.
• UN peacekeeping has also made a real difference in other places with recently completed or on-going operations such as Sierra Leone, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Timor-Leste, Liberia, Haiti and Kosovo.
• In other instances, however, UN peacekeeping have been challenged and found wanting, for instance in Somalia, Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
• Overall, UN Peacekeeping Forces have an impressive record of peacekeeping achievements, including winning the Nobel Peace Prize (1988).

 

India’s contribution in peacekeeping missions

• Current status
  • India is one of the largest troop contributing nation to UNPK.
  • Currently, India has around 5,900 troops deployed in 12 U.N. Missions.
  • India’s contribution to the peacekeeping budget stands at 0.16%.   
• Contribution so far
  • India has been actively participating in peacekeeping right from 1950 when it supplied medical personnel and troops to the UN Repatriation Commission in Korea.
  • India has contributed approximately 2,75,000 troops to peacekeeping missions so far and 159 Indian Army soldiers have lost their lives across the globe.
• Joint training of U.N. peacekeepers from African countries
  • In 2016, India and the U.S. had begun an annual training programme for joint training of U.N. peacekeepers from African countries.
• Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK)
  • Indian Army has established a CUNPK in New Delhi to impart training in peacekeeping operations and the Centre trains more than 12,000 troops every year.
• Women deployment
  • India has deployed Female Engagement Teams in United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei.
    • This is the second largest women contingent after Liberia.
  • India has also deployed Women Military Police in United Nations Disengagement Observer Force and women staff officers and military observers in various missions.
• Other contributions
  • In August 2021, India, in collaboration with the UN launched UNITE AWARE platform.
    • It is a technology platform to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers.
  • India has also proposed a 10-point plan, including making those targeting UN peacekeepers more accountable.
  • It also suggested to build a memorial wall to honour peacekeepers.

 

News Summary: India to train ASEAN women in United Nations Peacekeeping operations

• To further expand the India-ASEAN ties, the Raksha Mantri had announced initiatives for Women in UN Peace Keeping Operations.
  • These proposals were made at the inaugural India-ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting held in November 2022 at Siem Reap, Cambodia, to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of India-ASEAN relations.
• As part of this announcement, India is set to conduct two initiatives for women personnel from South East Asia later this year.

 

Initiatives under the India-ASEAN Initiative for women in UNPK operations

• Courses for women peacekeepers of ASEAN member-states
  • One of the initiatives includes conduct of tailor-made courses for women peacekeepers of ASEAN member-states at the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK) in India this September.
    • The Indian Army has established CUNPK (in 2000) in New Delhi to impart niche training in peacekeeping operations.
  • In all 20 peacekeepers, two from each country, would be trained.
• Table Top Exercise for women officers from ASEAN
  • The other initiative is a ‘Table Top Exercise’ for women officers from ASEAN incorporating facets of UNPK challenges to be conducted in December.

 

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Q1) What is ASEAN?

ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It is a regional intergovernmental organization that promotes cooperation and integration among its member countries in Southeast Asia. ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (also known as the Bangkok Declaration) by its founding members, which included Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Since then, the membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (formerly Burma), and Vietnam.

 

Q2) What is Table Top Exercise?

A Table Top Exercise (TTX) is a type of simulation or interactive discussion-based exercise conducted to assess and enhance preparedness for potential emergency or crisis situations. It is a scenario-driven exercise that involves key stakeholders, decision-makers, and subject matter experts gathering around a table to discuss, analyze, and respond to a hypothetical scenario or set of scenarios.

 

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Source: India to train ASEAN women in United Nations Peacekeeping operations | PIB | United Nations Peacekeeping | United Nation Ghana | Times of India