UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has called for the strengthening of the United Nations Observer Mission in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to enhance its effectiveness in preserving peace and security along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region.
Speaking at the first meeting of the 2023 session of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, Ambassador Munir Akram, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, emphasised the importance of UNMOGIP in maintaining peace and security in Jammu and Kashmir, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions.
UNMOGIP was established in 1949 to supervise the ceasefire between Pakistan and India in Jammu and Kashmir, with 44 military observers supported by 25 international civilian personnel and 47 local civilian staff.
While Pakistan allows UN observers to monitor the LoC, India does not. In his speech, Ambassador Akram stressed that peacekeeping is most effective when integrated into an overall political strategy for conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
He further said the protection of civilians is best served by preventing the outbreak of armed conflict, addressing the root causes of conflict, and finding sustainable political solutions through dialogue and mediation.
The envoy also emphasised the need to strengthen peacekeeping missions and operations through strategic communication, gender mainstreaming, and better protection for those who serve in them.
He underscored the importance of preserving the principles of impartiality and integrity in peacekeeping, and ensuring that peacekeeping remains distinct from peace enforcement and counter-terrorism operations.
Responding to asymmetric threats must not lead to peacekeeping taking on a role in militarised enforcement operations without careful planning and decision-making.
Ambassador Akram called for realistic, achievable, and adequately resourced mandates, with quality taking precedence over political expediency in selecting troop-contributing countries.
He also highlighted the need to promote peacekeeping-specific technology to address operational needs, and for strategies to embrace the entire peace continuum from conflict prevention to resolution.
Finally, he emphasised the importance of incentivising the participation of women peacekeepers from developing countries by ensuring equitable geographic representation, particularly in leadership roles, and urged peacekeeping operations to build the capacities of host countries to address the security threats posed by terrorists and armed groups.
