At UNSC, India says it deployed 3,000 officers in 24 UN Peacekeeping Operations

India has deployed nearly 3000 police officers in 24 UN Peacekeeping Operations, informed the country's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, R Ravindra on Wednesday. Addressing a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on UN Police to Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS), the official  highlighted that India has remained an active participant in UN deliberations on women empowerment and gender mainstreaming issues. The ambassador mourned the deaths of 14 police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.  

"Indian women Police officer Shakti Devi, who was deployed in the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, was awarded the International Female Police Peacekeeper Award in 2014," Envoy Ravindra mentioned. She is known for her immense efforts towards creating the Women's Police Council on Herat.

Paying tribute to all women and men peacekeepers associated with the UNSC across the world, India expressed it support to the Secretary General's call to action for accelerated implementation of the WPS Agenda in "Action for Peacekeeping (A4P)" and "A4P + priorities."

Noting that India was the first to deploy a Formed Police Unit in Liberia in 2007, and now contributes 175 police to various United Nations operations, Ravindra said: “Women peacekeepers, particularly women police officers, can play an important role in understanding and responding to the specific needs of women in conflict and post-conflict environments”, UN said in its statement. He also added that more targetted actions are needed to identify and address structural problems and prevent atrocities like capture and torture of deployed forces, ANI reported. Highlighting the need to ensure safe working conditions, ambassador Ravindra also emphasised that barracks facilities must be improved and zero-tolerance policies be implemented to protect women police officers from sexual harassment and abuse.

UNSC delegates call for strengthening women force in UN Police

Female police officers are instrumental to the UN flagship initiative to strengthen the effectiveness of its peace operations, the UNSC said in its statement. Noting that gender-responsive policing ensures that the different security needs of men, women, girls and boys are considered, Ravindra said United Nations police have already achieved gender parity targets for 2025, with five police components headed by women, including today’s briefers. Delegates like Patricia Boughani, Police commissioner of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation, called for a shift in mindset to promote a gender perspective, given that few women are deployed in Mali’s security forces in the centre and the north, the statement added.  

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: ANI)