A new paradigm is needed for UN peacekeeping missions to effectively deal with the changing nature of conflicts and security challenges, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.
He said the peacekeepers must be prepared to protect civilians from harm, respond to humanitarian crises, and yet operate in environments where the “enemy wears no uniform and respects no rules”.
Jaishankar was speaking at a conference of chiefs of countries contributing troops to UN peacekeeping missions. He argued that there is a need for reevaluation of various aspects of peacekeeping as the nature of conflicts has changed.
“The clear lines of state-on-state warfare have been blurred. We often face on the ground, a complex and ambiguous matrix of non-state actors, of armed groups, and of terrorist organizations,” he said. Jaishankar said the traditional role of a peacekeeper as a buffer between two warring states has also evolved significantly. “Today, our peacekeepers must be prepared to protect civilians from harm, respond to humanitarian crises, and yet operate in environments where the enemy wears no uniform and respects no rules,” he said. “This difficult reality demands a new paradigm for peacekeeping. It requires enhanced training, sophisticated technology, and a re-evaluation of our mandates,” he said. “We must equip peacekeepers to deal with asymmetric threats, ensure their own safety, and yet deliver on their missions,” Jaishankar said.
He also strongly pitched for reform of the United Nations. “There is a strong desire amongst members of the UN for a reformed United Nations, including expansion of the permanent and non-permanent categories of the membership of the Security Council,” he said.
“However, the process of reform itself is being used to derail that agenda. As a result, I am sorry to say, historical injustices still continue,” the external affairs minister said. “India affirms its commitment to assume greater responsibilities in a reformed United Nations and in a reformed multilateralism,” he added.
