Jean Pierre Lacroix, the Underneath Secretary General Office of Peace Functions (USG DPO) will be traveling to Bangladesh for owning pledge for extra UN Peacekeeping Forces from Bangladesh. His visit will get place from June 25-26, 2023 at Dhaka on the celebration of the preparatory assembly for the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2023. Bangladesh is a single of the co-hosts for this party apart from Canada and Uruguay.
The UN Peacekeeping Ministerial is the seminal high-degree event for UN peacekeeping, held biennially with the participation of foreign and defense ministers. It is the hottest in a sequence of meetings held at the Head of Point out, Govt, or Ministerial stage considering that 2014. Next the 2021 celebration hosted by South Korea, the 2023 Ministerial will be held in Accra, Ghana on Dec. 5-6. All member states represented in the Particular Committee on Peacekeeping Operations will be invited to take part in this function, as very well as a sequence of preparatory conferences to be held in the lead-up to the Ministerial. The check out is unquestionably encouraging and constructive for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh at the UN Peacekeeping
Bangladesh is a single of the greatest Troops and Law enforcement Contributing International locations (TPCCs) to the UN Peacekeeping Operations. As of March 2023, 7,237 peacekeepers deployed in unique nations and destinations. The journey of participation in the UN peacekeeping operations started in 1988 and considering the fact that then it despatched above 167,274 peacekeepers in 63 Peace Maintaining missions/assignments to serve in forty nations around the world/locations.
About the past three a long time, Bangladesh’s partnership with the UN in peacekeeping has developed in depth and dimensions. Influenced by the International Coverage Doctrine of “Friendship to all and malice in direction of none” and constitutional obligation, Bangladesh has taken a price-driven approach to add to international peace and stability. They have labored to guard civilians, rebuild infrastructure, and advertise human legal rights. Bangladeshi peacekeepers have also designed the final sacrifice, with 166 peacekeepers possessing died even though serving in UN peacekeeping missions.
Bangladeshi peacekeepers have performed a critical position in preserving peace and steadiness in some of the world’s most troubled regions, together with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Haiti. Bangladeshi peacekeepers are recognized for their professionalism, perseverance, and motivation to the principles and values of the UN Charter. They have produced sizeable contributions to the security of civilians, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and the marketing of sustainable progress.
Bangladeshi peacekeepers have served in a variety of roles, including armed service observers, infantry, engineers, and health care staff. They have played a key role in monitoring cease-fires and rebuilding war-torn countries. Past month, the United Nations awarded the ‘Dag Hammarskjöld Medal’ to five fallen Bangladeshi peacekeepers for their supreme sacrifice in UN Peacekeeping functions. The award was handed over at the Typical Assembly Corridor by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a ceremony. The medal is the optimum honor that can be bestowed on a UN peacekeeper.
Bangladesh Armed forces have played substantial purpose in girls empowerment and gender mainstreaming by utilizing women of all ages as peacekeepers in volatile stability cases of discipline missions. So much, a full of 962 female peacekeepers from the Bangladesh Armed Forces participated in the UN peace functions. Now, 415 female members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces are deployed in distinctive peacekeeping missions. Bangladesh’s dedication to UN peacekeeping is a supply of national delight and a testomony to the country’s wish to participate in a positive position in the globe and contribute to the cause of peace and safety.
The contributions of Bangladeshi peacekeepers have created a genuine variation in the life of thousands and thousands of persons around the earth. They have served to carry peace and balance to conflict-ridden locations, secure civilians, and produce humanitarian help. Bangladesh is a proud and committed companion of the United Nations, and its peacekeepers carry on to play a very important role in retaining international peace and safety.
What to assume from the go to?
Jean Pierre Lacroix is responsible for overseeing and coordinating UN peacekeeping functions all over the world. The check out will tackle a variety of peacekeeping-related concerns and bolster the partnership among Bangladesh and the United Nations peacekeeping functions. According to Overseas Ministry resources, “It is an encouraging and optimistic visit” for Bangladesh. “He can pledge to consider a lot more peacekeepers from Bangladesh.”
In the course of these types of a check out, it is anticipated that the adhering to locations will be reviewed.
Very first, Jean Pierre Lacroix’s visit will serve as an prospect to acknowledge and commend Bangladesh’s sizeable contributions to UN Peacekeeping functions. The stop by may include functions or ceremonies the place the attempts and sacrifices designed by Bangladeshi peacekeepers are regarded.
Next, discussions concerning Jean Pierre Lacroix and Bangladeshi officials might middle on examining ongoing peacekeeping missions and checking out methods to greatly enhance collaboration. They may perhaps talk about challenges confronted by Bangladeshi peacekeepers, strategies to enhance their security and perfectly-remaining, and tactics to greatly enhance their effectiveness in attaining peace and security.
Third, presented Bangladesh’s sizeable involvement in peacekeeping, Jean Pierre Lacroix’s visit may possibly also aim on ability-constructing and schooling initiatives. The conversations may perhaps revolve about delivering assist and resources to bolster the teaching infrastructure of Bangladesh’s armed forces and police staff included in peacekeeping operations.
Lastly, the visit could also include exploring probable avenues for Bangladesh’s continued engagement in UN peacekeeping. This could include things like discussions on the probability of deploying peacekeepers to new or ongoing missions, sharing knowledge in unique places, or contributing to peacebuilding efforts beyond troop deployments.
[Photo by Hassan7729, via Wikimedia Commons]
The views and thoughts expressed in this write-up are people of the author.
Dr. Shafik A. Rahman is a postdoctoral fellow in Worldwide Relations of Southeast Asia at the Countrywide College of Singapore. He received his Ph.D. in Politics and Global relations from Queen Mary University of London, U.K.
