India strongly believes peacekeeping is an effective instrument in maintaining international peace and security and is committed to supporting the Global South in building such capacities, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Monday. Speaking at the inaugural session of the ‘Conference for Women Peacekeepers from the Global South’, he also said India has also been at the forefront of deploying women in peacekeeping operations, which makes it more diverse and inclusive. The conference — the two-day event is being held to mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security — brought together women peacekeepers from 35 countries to explore the evolving role of women in peacekeeping operations and discuss strategies to enhance their participation. “India remains committed to supporting Global South nations in building their peacekeeping capacities. Through initiatives led by the Centre for UN Peacekeeping, India will continue to offer training and capacity-building programs, including courses specifically designed for women peacekeepers, as we did with ASEAN countries in 2023,” Jaishankar said. Referring to “two significant events” this year — the Peacekeeping Ministerial (May 13-14) in Berlin and the Peacebuilding Architecture Review in New York — the Minister said, “India strongly believes that peacekeeping is an effective instrument in the maintenance of international peace and security.” “Discussions here today can play a crucial role in shaping the outcomes of these processes,” he said. Highlighting the role of women in peacekeeping, Jaishankar said, “The participation of women in peace operations makes it more diverse and inclusive. It is essential that we continue to increase the representation of women in peacekeeping. This is not only a matter of quantity but equally of quality. Women peacekeepers often have unique access to local communities, acting as role models for women in conflict zones. Jaishankar said “exemplary women peacekeepers” from India have inspired others globally. He cited as examples: Kiran Bedi, the first woman UN Police Advisor; Major Suman Gawani and Major Radhika Sen, the recipients of the UN Military Gender Advocate Award in 2019 and 2023, respectively; and Seema Dhundia, who led the first all-women Formed Police Unit in Liberia. Jaishankar said India is proud of its contributions and association with UN Peacekeeping, “a commitment that spans decades”. Since the 1950s, he said, India has contributed over 290,000 peacekeepers across more than 50 missions and remains the largest Troop Contributing Country. “Today, India proudly continues this legacy, with over 150 women peacekeepers deployed across six critical missions, including those in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Lebanon, Golan Heights, Western Sahara, and Abyei," he said. Overall, said the Minister, there are more than 5,000 Indian peacekeepers currently deployed in nine of the eleven active peacekeeping missions, “often in challenging and hostile environments, with a singular focus: the advancement of global peace and security.” “In this pursuit, India has unfortunately lost nearly 180 peacekeepers, whose supreme sacrifices are etched in the history of our collective endeavours forever,” he said.
