Principal Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has urged the UN to appoint more female peacekeepers from Bangladesh. At the same time, he reiterated Bangladesh’s unwavering commitment to international peacekeeping and security efforts.
He made the call when he met with the Principal Adviser to the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka on Sunday.
The meeting discussed various issues related to peacekeeping operations in detail. At the time, the Principal Adviser said, “What I encourage is the participation of more Bangladeshi women in peacekeeping missions.”
Bangladesh is one of the top three peacekeeping-contributing countries. Currently, 5,677 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are serving in 10 out of 11 active missions.
The UN Under-Secretary-General said that the UN has a policy on involving women in peacekeeping.
He said, “We do not want to limit women to any specific role.” He noted that the UN will support the recruitment of women in all areas of peacekeeping.
The Principal Advisor said that Bangladesh is ready to send additional troops and police if needed. He mentioned the five units that Bangladesh has pledged under the UN Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System (PPRS) Rapid Deployment Phase.
Professor Yunus advocated for increasing Bangladeshi leadership in UN peacekeeping at headquarters and in the field. The UN representative said that they would support Bangladesh in this regard as well.
The Principal Advisor said that Bangladesh strictly adheres to the UN vetting process for the recruitment of peacekeepers and welcomes further cooperation with the UN and other organizations on training and accountability, so that the observance of human rights can be further strengthened.
The Principal Advisor was informed that a delegation led by the Foreign Affairs Advisor of Bangladesh will participate in the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference to be held in Berlin, Germany from May 13 to 14.
The Principal Advisor also expressed concern over the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, border clashes, civilian casualties and disruption of livelihoods in areas along the Naf River.
He warned that if the unrest continues, it could worsen and pose a security risk. He called for a concerted international effort to resolve the Rohingya crisis.
The Principal Advisor recalled UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ recent visit to the Rohingya camps in southeastern Bangladesh and said that his visit has given new hope for the safe and dignified repatriation of the Rohingya. Source: BSS