The unfolding crisis in Afghanistan has brought about a lot of perspectives on how the global community is viewing, processing and reacting to the emergency the Central Asian country poses to not just the neighbouring regions, but also the world as a whole.
India has for time immemorial believed in peace and stood by countries in times of need, especially in these unreal times of the Covid-19 pandemic, an outbreak that brought the world to its knees for nearly two years.
Speaking at the Open Debate on Technology & Peacekeeping at the United Nations Security Council, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar highlighted India’s role in peacekeeping missions, stating that “it is vital that our capabilities to secure the peacekeepers keep pace”.
“21st century peacekeeping must be anchored in a strong ecosystem of technology and innovation that can facilitate UN peacekeeping operations in implementing their mandates in complex environments. After all, it helps them to adapt to changing conflict dynamics and take advantage of increased efficiencies,” Jaishankar said.
The EAM said that “this is also in line with the Strategy for the Digital Transformation of UN Peacekeeping which seeks to advance the use of technology across the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) themes, including performance, safety and security, politics, protection and peacebuilding”.
He highlighted that providing greater clarity, direction and professionalism in United Nations’ peacekeeping operations is at the heart of India’s vision.
“Peacekeeping continues to play a crucial role in India’s vision of ensuring international peace and security,” Jaishankar said.
India took over the Presidency of the UNSC earlier this month, with an aim to focus on maritime security, peacekeeping and counterterrorism during the month of August.
“Conflicts have become more intense and tools of warfare are increasingly sophisticated. Digital transformation should focus on cost-effective and widely available technologies,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.
As a reflection of India’s deep commitment to ‘Protecting the Protectors’, the government of India has provided 2,00,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for UN Peacekeeping personnel worldwide in March this year, he informed.
The EAM said that the global community must contribute to ensuring that technological improvements are continuous and are available on the ground, in the gear peacekeepers carry and the weapons and tools they use to enhance their mobility, performance, endurance, range, and load-carrying capabilities while guaranteeing their safety and security.
“This also includes strengthening of communication within missions and enhancing overall capacity to take informed decisions at the tactical and operational level. Consistent training and capacity building of peacekeepers in the realm of technology needs attention and investment. It is with this in mind that India is committed to long term engagement with the UNC4ISR Academy for Peace Operations in Entebbe, Uganda, to meet the training needs, link it with available technological capability, and shape future requirements. I am pleased to announce that we have signed an MOU between the Government of India and the UN in support to the ‘Partnership for Technology in Peacekeeping’ initiative and to UN C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations,” Jaishankar said.
India has been a pioneer in UN peacekeeping, deploying more than a quarter of a million troops over the years to as many as 49 UN Peacekeeping Missions.
“Serving under the blue flag, 175 gallant Indian soldiers have made the supreme sacrifice, the largest number among troop contributing countries. In keeping with this tradition, we have more than 5000 personnel deployed across 9 missions at present,” the EAM said.
