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United Nations, Jan. 16 (PTI) — The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei on Monday welcomed India’s deployment of its largest platoon of all-female peacekeepers, saying it reaffirmed the country’s ongoing commitment to peacekeeping.
UN Security Council Resolution 1990 of 27 June 2011 established the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) to respond to the emergency situation in the Abyei area of Sudan.
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“UNISFA is pleased to welcome the largest all-female platoon of peacekeepers deployed from India in recent years. They join @IndBatt to serve in Abyei @UNISFA_1. This deployment reaffirms India’s continued commitment to the implementation of UNISFA@ UNPeacekeeping mandate,” the delegation tweeted.
A platoon of Indian women peacekeepers arrived in Abyei on Saturday to begin deploying a UN mission.
“Glory to the country! India’s all-female peacekeepers from @UNPeacekeeping at @UNISFA_1 arrived in Abyei today,” India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a tweet on Saturday.
Since the deployment of the first-ever all-female contingent to Liberia in 2007, the platoon of female peacekeepers has been deployed in Abyei as part of the UNISFA Indian Battalion, the largest Indian presence in a United Nations mission. Female peacekeepers.
When Indian female peacekeepers left India on January 6 to start deploying with UNISFA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Proud to see this. India has positive A tradition of involvement in UN peacekeeping. Our Nari Shakti involvement is even more gratifying.”
“India is deploying an all-female peacekeeper platoon to the UN Mission in Abyei @UNISFA_1 as part of our battalion. This is the largest deployment of female peacekeepers in recent years. Best wishes to the team!” Permanent Representative of India UN representative Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj tweeted earlier this month.
Comprised of two officers and 25 other ranks, the platoon is part of the participating platoon, which specializes in community outreach. It will also perform a wide range of security-related tasks.
India’s permanent mission to the United Nations said earlier this month: “Their presence is especially welcome in Abyei, where recent outbreaks of violence have raised a host of challenging humanitarian issues facing women and children in conflict zones. .”
Last September, Kamborgi told a Security Council briefing on UN peacekeeping that the role of women peacekeepers in effective peacekeeping cannot be overemphasized.
She stressed that India was proud to have deployed the first all-female peacekeeping contingent to Liberia in 2007, which she said had “inspired a whole generation” of Liberian women to participate in the country’s security services.
“We stand ready to make further contributions in this area,” she said.
In a statement, the Indian delegation noted that female peacekeepers are “highly valued” in UN missions around the world because of their ability to reach and build relationships with women and children in local populations, especially victims of sexual violence in conflict zones. connect.
“Women in India in particular have a rich tradition in peacekeeping operations,” the statement said, adding that Kieran Bedi, the UN’s first police adviser and the 2019 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year award winner Maj. Suman Ghavani And Shakti Devi left his mark on UN peacekeeping.
In 2014, Devi, a Jammu and Kashmir police officer deployed to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), was awarded the International Female Police Peacekeeper Award by the United Nations police department for her “extraordinary achievements” at the United Nations. Missions in Afghanistan include her efforts to help victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
“Our teams in Congo and South Sudan are also doing excellent work in mainstreaming women and children in grassroots community and social development projects,” said the Indian delegation.
The role of the 125 female peacekeepers in India’s formed police unit deployed with the United Nations Mission in Liberia has been praised for motivating women in the West African country to become police officers.
Then-UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon hailed India’s female peacekeepers in Liberia as an inspiration to all, saying their actions were an example of how women can help the world body fight sexual exploitation and abuse.
As of 31 October 2022, India is the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, with 5,887 troops and personnel deployed across 12 missions, after Bangladesh (7,017).
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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