PM pledges Thai commitment to UN peacekeeping work
PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday joined leaders from more than 50 countries for a summit on United Nations peacekeeping operations to pledge new commitments to save people in conflicts around the world.
Prayut told the summit that Thailand was ready to dispatch military staff officers, development units and engineers upon a UN request to join peacekeeping operations.
Since 1946 when it became a UN member, Thailand has sent more than 20,000 police and military personnel to join peacekeeping operations under the UN flag in many war-torn places of the world – including Korea, Timor Leste and South Sudan, he said.
The nature of conflicts in the world has changed over time, and there should be a comprehensive review of peacekeeping operations, he said.
“Conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peace-building and development are connected together as fundamentals of lasting peace,” Prayut said.
Thailand also encouraged women to have more active roles in peacekeeping work, he said.
The summit, convened by US President Barack Obama, comes on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at a time when peacekeeping missions are unprecedented in scale of operation and scope of mandates. At present there are 125,000 troops, police and civilian personnel in 16 operations spanning four continents on UN operations.
Obama called upon all nations to contribute more in peacekeeping. “I want to thank those who already do so much…At this summit, more than 50 countries – from Bangladesh to Colombia, from Finland to China – are making commitments totalling more than 30,000 new troops and police,” he said.
Peacekeeping activity was needed to improve the protection of civilians, he said. The UN and its members must also reform and modernise peace operations, he said.
Obama said he had issued a new presidential guidance – the first in more than 20 years – to expand US support for UN peace operations. “Like the nations participating today, we’ll pledge additional resources,” he said.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “the demand for peacekeeping has never been greater.”
More than 120 countries are currently contributing personnel to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate ex-combatants; strengthen rule of law and security institutions; and promote human rights, he said.
