PENDING PAYMENTS DOESN'T REFLECT
UN'S PEACEKEEPING COMMITMENT.
India has said, the UN owing over
USD 700 million to member states, including India, for peacekeeping services
does not reflect the world body's commitment to peacekeeping operations.
The UN owes USD 777 million to 86
member states, including India, for Troops/Formed Police Units and Contingent
Owned Equipment claims as on March 2017. Of this, outstanding payment to
Ethiopia was the highest at USD 64 million. The UN owes India USD 55 million
for peacekeeping operations, the second highest amount, followed by USD 53
million to Bangladesh and USD 41 million to Pakistan.
Counsellor in the Permanent
Mission of India to the UN Anjani Kumar said last week at a session of the
General Assembly s Fifth Committee, which deals with administrative and
budgetary issues, that outstanding payment of dues to troop and police
contributing countries for their services rendered is a matter of concern to
many, including India.
He noted that finance or reimbursements
are not at all the basis for India's longstanding commitment to peacekeeping
operations, yet "for the kind of services rendered by the peacekeepers and
the risks undertaken by them for ensuring collective peace and security, what
UN pays to them is a token amount."
"Therefore, at a time when
the TCCs and PCCs are being asked to make greater sacrifices, pending payments
to such a large number of countries does not reflect UN's commitment to
peacekeeping operations, Kumar said, referring to Troop Contributing Countries
(TCCs) and Police-Contributing Countries (PCCs).
Kumar emphasised it is important
that payment of assessed contributions is not withheld or linked to political
motives."India firmly believes that the UN is a global role model and must
lead by example in all activities under its umbrella, including the
peacekeeping operations," he said, adding that timely payment of assessed
contribution is essential for the financial health of the peacekeeping
operations.
India is the largest cumulative
troop contributor, having provided almost 200,000 troops in nearly 50 of the 71
peacekeeping missions mandated over the past six decades, including 13 of the
current 16 missions.
The first-ever Female Formed
Police Unit provided by India and deployed in Liberia received recognition for
providing a role model for encouraging female participation in police and for
pursuing gender balance more widely.
About 168 Indian troops have made
the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty under the UN Flag. Kumar further
stressed that for greater efficiency of peacekeeping operations, there should
be unwavering commitment to the stated mandate of each peacekeeping mission,
operational effectiveness with respect to the situation on the ground and the
welfare and security of the peacekeepers themselves.
"The Troop-Contributing
Countries and Police-Contributing Countries should be fully consulted at all
stages of such decision-making process, he said."A one-sided approach to
economise may prove to be counter-productive. We must ensure that the
peacekeepers who are deployed in the harm's way must be adequately resourced to
carry out their mandated tasks effectively. Any dilution of their resources
will inevitably impact their effectiveness, he said.
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