<div>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to convey this week New Delhi’s concerns over wanton expansion of the mandate of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations by the Security Council and prod the international community to ensure those who attack peacekeepers are brought to justice.<br /><br />Modi will attend a summit on UN peacekeeping hosted by US President Barack Obama in New York on Saturday.<br /><br />“India has historically been one of the largest contributors to the UN peacekeeping forces. Over 180,000 Indian troops have participated in UN peacekeeping missions – more than from any other country,” Modi noted in a post on Facebook ahead of his departure for New York, scheduled on Wednesday. Modi said that he would share his thoughts “on how to make peacekeeping more effective”.<br /><br />He is expected to seek greater role for India and other troop-contributing nations in deciding the mandates of the UN peacekeeping operations, officials told Deccan Herald in New Delhi.<br /><br />Altogether 7,960 personnel of India – 1,035 policemen, 61 military experts, 6,864 soldiers – are presently deployed in the conflict zones in Congo, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, East Timor, Sudan, South Sudan and Golan Heights. India also suffered maximum fatalities, with 160 of its personnel being killed so far while participating in UN peacekeeping missions.<br /><br />“We are proud of our peacekeeping forces spread across the world, ensuring peace in difficult circumstances,” Modi, who is set to leave for New York via Dublin early on Wednesday, wrote on Facebook.<br /><br />New Delhi is understood to be of the opinion that the UNSC’s mandates to UN peacekeeping operations are too broad and have very little correlation with the ability of the organization to deliver. It earlier argued that the UNSC that the council should be held accountable if unachievable mandates were generated for political expediency or if adequate resources were not made available.<br /><br />“India is of the view that the international community must grasp the rapid changes that are underway in the nature and role of contemporary peacekeeping operations. The Security Council’s mandates to UN peacekeeping operations need to be rooted in ground realities and correlated with the resources provided for the peacekeeping operation,” said an official in New Delhi. New Delhi argued that troop and police contributing countries should be fully involved at all stages and in all aspects of mission planning and peacebuilding and peacekeeping efforts of the UN should be segregated.<br /><br />India is also peeved over lack of “specific concrete action” by the Security Council to bring to justice those who attack UN peacekeepers. An Indian peacekeeper was killed in Congo in 2013. Seven Indian soldiers participating in UN Mission in South Sudan were also killed in attacks in the same year. <br /></div>
<div>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to convey this week New Delhi’s concerns over wanton expansion of the mandate of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations by the Security Council and prod the international community to ensure those who attack peacekeepers are brought to justice.<br /><br />Modi will attend a summit on UN peacekeeping hosted by US President Barack Obama in New York on Saturday.<br /><br />“India has historically been one of the largest contributors to the UN peacekeeping forces. Over 180,000 Indian troops have participated in UN peacekeeping missions – more than from any other country,” Modi noted in a post on Facebook ahead of his departure for New York, scheduled on Wednesday. Modi said that he would share his thoughts “on how to make peacekeeping more effective”.<br /><br />He is expected to seek greater role for India and other troop-contributing nations in deciding the mandates of the UN peacekeeping operations, officials told Deccan Herald in New Delhi.<br /><br />Altogether 7,960 personnel of India – 1,035 policemen, 61 military experts, 6,864 soldiers – are presently deployed in the conflict zones in Congo, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, East Timor, Sudan, South Sudan and Golan Heights. India also suffered maximum fatalities, with 160 of its personnel being killed so far while participating in UN peacekeeping missions.<br /><br />“We are proud of our peacekeeping forces spread across the world, ensuring peace in difficult circumstances,” Modi, who is set to leave for New York via Dublin early on Wednesday, wrote on Facebook.<br /><br />New Delhi is understood to be of the opinion that the UNSC’s mandates to UN peacekeeping operations are too broad and have very little correlation with the ability of the organization to deliver. It earlier argued that the UNSC that the council should be held accountable if unachievable mandates were generated for political expediency or if adequate resources were not made available.<br /><br />“India is of the view that the international community must grasp the rapid changes that are underway in the nature and role of contemporary peacekeeping operations. The Security Council’s mandates to UN peacekeeping operations need to be rooted in ground realities and correlated with the resources provided for the peacekeeping operation,” said an official in New Delhi. New Delhi argued that troop and police contributing countries should be fully involved at all stages and in all aspects of mission planning and peacebuilding and peacekeeping efforts of the UN should be segregated.<br /><br />India is also peeved over lack of “specific concrete action” by the Security Council to bring to justice those who attack UN peacekeepers. An Indian peacekeeper was killed in Congo in 2013. Seven Indian soldiers participating in UN Mission in South Sudan were also killed in attacks in the same year. <br /></div>
