United Nations, Mar 25 (PTI) Asserting that peacekeeping is not a zero-risk effort, India told the UN Security Council that peacekeepers have to contend with the presence of non-state actors, armed groups and terrorists, and in an era of complex conflicts and threats, perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers must be brought to justice.

These remarks were made by India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, during the UN Security Council Open Debate on Advancing Adaptability in UN Peace operations on Monday.

"UN Peacekeepers today have to contend with the presence of non-state actors, armed groups, terrorists, as well as transnational criminal networks. Technological advancements have created new challenges in the form of mis-/dis-/mal-information and hate speech, new-age weapons, including drones, IEDs etc. These are but a few new realities that peacekeepers are up against," he said.

"Safety and security of peacekeepers must remain paramount. In an era marked by complex conflicts and asymmetric threats, we must ensure that those who risk their lives for peace are adequately protected and that perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers are brought to justice," he said.

He stressed that troop/police-contributing countries need to focus on enhancing the capabilities of their personnel to address emerging challenges to operate effectively in hostile environments.

"India is willing to curate and offer courses that address specific demands of modern peacekeeping at our Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK), which has been training national and international peacekeepers for over two decades," he added.

Underlining that the use of advanced surveillance, communication and data analytic tools should be integrated into peacekeeping operations to improve situational awareness and rapid response capabilities, Harish said that India stands ready to share its expertise as a technology enabler in this regard.

He said that countering modern challenges to peacekeeping demands that Peacekeeping Missions are adequately funded and resourced. Resources need to be commensurate with the mandate.

"The current state of uncertainty over funding and the mandate-resource mismatch is neither sustainable nor comforting nor desirable, particularly for countries from the Global South who contribute the lion's share of troops." Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the 'UN80 Initiative' aimed at improving efficiencies at the 80-year-old world organisation and making it more cost-effective as he voiced concern over shrinking resources and liquidity crisis amid an environment of "uncertainty and unpredictability".

The UN General Assembly approved a USD 3.72 billion budget for the United Nations for 2025. The US is the single largest financial contributor to the UN, paying 22 per cent of the regular budget and 27 per cent of the peacekeeping budget.

The approved budget for UN Peacekeeping operations for the fiscal year 1 July 2024 - 30 June 2025 is USD 5.6 billion and at 26.95 per cent, the US is largest contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations.

US President Donald Trump, in his second term in the White House, had announced that America will withdraw from and end funding to certain UN organisations.

India ranks among the top contributors to UN peacekeeping missions with 5,384 personnel, including 153 women, across 10 missions as of September 2024.

Nearly 180 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, the highest number by far from any troop-contributing country.

Harish said that adapting peace operations to new realities cannot happen unless those on ground -- the troop-/police-contributing countries -- are made part of the mandate formulation process at every stage. He further said that the rationalisation of peacekeeping missions is essential for the efficient allocation of resources.

"Redundant missions that continue on political life support without operational rationale only for propaganda purposes, divert resources from urgently required peacekeeping missions and undermine the credibility of the UN." Further, he said it is important to acknowledge that peacekeeping missions cannot exist in perpetuity. "Missions need to have viable transition plans and exit strategies that ensure that the peace sustains." With respect to peacebuilding by peace operations, Harish said national ownership should remain the core principle in all peacebuilding initiatives and activities.

"We encourage greater coherence and coordination between Resident Coordinators and the UN entities to support the national peacebuilding priorities of the Host States by peace operations, including during the mission transition.” India said that adapting peace operations to new realities also involves enhancing the critical role of women peacekeepers both qualitatively and quantitatively.

In February this year, Harish told the Council that India organised the first ever Conference for Women Peacekeepers from the Global South, bringing together representatives from 35 troop/police-contributing countries to deliberate on the key issue.

"It is no longer a question of whether women can do peacekeeping. Rather, it is about whether peacekeeping can do without women." Peacekeeping cannot be the sole solution to conflicts, he said adding that peace holds when peacekeeping operations are accompanied by political solutions.

"These can only emerge when there is coherence within the UN Security Council. It is, thus, imperative to reform the UNSC in both categories to make it more reflective and representative of current geopolitical realities." Harish further highlighted that India, a nation deeply committed to the principles of multilateralism and global peace, has been a steadfast partner of the United Nations in its peacekeeping endeavours, with a history of deploying nearly 300,000 troops across more than 50 missions as of date.

Paying tribute to more than 4,000 UN peacekeepers, including 182 Indian personnel, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace, Harish called for the earliest completion of a Memorial Wall in their honour. PTI YAS ARD ARD