A new UN resolution calls for tougher action against those responsible for attacks on peacekeepers, urging greater cooperation in investigations…reports Asian Lite News Desk
India joined more than 150 countries in co-sponsoring a UN Security Council resolution calling for stronger action against those responsible for attacks on peacekeepers and greater involvement of troop-contributing nations in investigations when their personnel are targeted.
Adopted unanimously on Tuesday, the resolution reaffirmed that attacks against UN peacekeepers and their facilities may constitute war crimes and urged all parties involved in conflicts to fully comply with their obligations towards UN personnel.
The measure reflects growing international concern over the safety of peacekeepers deployed in conflict zones around the world. According to UN data, 1,150 peacekeepers have been killed in attacks since peacekeeping operations began in 1948, including 69 personnel from India.
In one of the latest incidents, seven peacekeepers have been killed this year in Lebanon, where UN personnel have been caught amid hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
Paying tribute to peacekeepers who have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag, the resolution honoured those who had “sacrificed their lives in the line of duty for the cause of peace”.
It also encouraged troop and police contributing countries to deploy, on a voluntary basis and where appropriate, trained investigative personnel to assist host nations in examining killings and violent attacks against UN personnel.
Speaking after the vote, Denmark’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Christina Markus Lassen, whose country co-sponsored the resolution with Pakistan, said the measure sent a strong signal that the international community was monitoring such crimes and that perpetrators would be held accountable.
She said the unanimous backing for the resolution reassured peacekeepers that the Security Council stood firmly behind them and demonstrated to troop-contributing countries that the Council was prepared to act when required.
The resolution requested UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to ensure that clear factual records of attacks on peacekeepers are maintained and called on countries concerned, along with other relevant actors, to cooperate fully with investigations.
It also asked Guterres to submit a report to the Security Council within 120 days detailing the status of investigations into attacks on peacekeepers.
The safety of peacekeepers remains a key priority for India, which currently has 4,264 personnel deployed in UN missions worldwide. In 2022, New Delhi launched the Group of Friends to Promote Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers to strengthen efforts aimed at protecting peacekeepers and ensuring accountability for attacks against them.
India has also championed the issue at the Security Council. During its tenure as an elected member in 2021, it sponsored a resolution that was unanimously adopted, urging host countries of UN peacekeeping missions to investigate incidents of violence against peacekeepers and prosecute those responsible.
