New York, 13 June 2024 (TDI): Ambassador Munir Akram, the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, has highlighted the increasing challenges faced by UN peacekeeping missions, noting that they confront unprecedented threats to their safety in fraught security environments.
Ambassador Akram emphasized Pakistan’s active involvement in discussions on the future of UN peacekeeping to effectively serve the cause of peace and security in alignment with the UN Charter.
He made these remarks while welcoming a delegation comprising heads of the military components conference (HOMCC) that visited the Pakistan Mission today for a briefing on Pakistan’s contribution to UN peacekeeping.
Ambassador Akram highlighted Pakistan’s pride in over six decades of dedicated and professional participation in UN peacekeeping missions, with 235,000 Pakistani peacekeepers having served in 48 missions. He stressed that UN peacekeeping is an intense form of international cooperation requiring serious reflection on its future.
“Peacekeeping must be part of a broader political strategy aimed at addressing the root causes of conflicts and violence,” he said.
The Pakistan UN envoy reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to collaborate with member states and the UN to make peacekeeping more productive, result-oriented, and meaningful in promoting peace and security in line with the UN Charter.
Major General Cheryl Pearce, Acting Military Adviser and representative of the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace commended Pakistan’s contributions, noting that no other country has sacrificed more lives in the service of international peace than Pakistan.
She emphasized ongoing efforts to enhance the safety and security of peacekeepers through specialized skills and modern training.
UN Police Advisor Faisal Shahkar thanked Pakistan for its service to international peace, highlighting the active involvement of Pakistani police officials in peacekeeping missions.
Col. Umar Shafique, Military and Police Advisor at the Pakistan Mission highlighted the sacrifices of Pakistani peacekeepers, with 181 personnel, including 27 officers, having lost their lives for the cause of world peace.
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He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the UN’s Uniform Gender Parity Strategy, noting that since 2017, around 500 Pakistani female peacekeepers have served under the UN flag.
This reflects Pakistan’s dedication to gender parity and the empowerment of women in peacekeeping roles, he said.
Also in attendance were staff officers of the UN missions’ heads, officers from UN Military Affairs, police seconded officers from Pakistan, and officers of the Pakistan Mission.
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