UNITED NATIONS, Sep 02:Pakistan has called for including UN Police in peacekeeping operations’ mediation and other dialogue processes, especially where a lack of trust in the security sector was a root cause of conflict.
“Peacekeeping is a shared responsibility,” Ambassador Munir Akram, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the third UN Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS), which brought together ministers, police chiefs, and senior representatives of regional and professional policing organizations.
“A spirit of mutual and respective responsibility is at the core of A4P (Action for Peacekeeping), and nowhere is this more important than pursuing durable solutions to conflict and instability,” he told the gathering in the General Assembly Hall on Thursday.
“The Security Council has been unable to develop political solutions to several old and new disputes, including the one where one of the oldest UN Missions — the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) — is stationed,” the Pakistani envoy said in a reference to the unresolved Kashmir dispute.
Noting that the work of the UN Police is protecting people, preventing conflicts, and sustaining peace, Ambassador Akram said that that could only be achieved by reforms and developing the institutional capacity of the host state.
UN Police, he said, needs to be managed and resourced effectively to address security threats affecting global security involving organized crime, human trafficking, terrorism, and financial fraud, a task that required closer coordination with the host government’s law enforcement machinery and the civilian population.
While a rapid deployment of Formed Police Units instead of military troops may be needed in certain contexts, he said, such a move should be based on clear and achievable mandates supported by adequate resources.
The Pakistani envoy also stressed the need for the enhancement of early warning system, and arming the peacekeepers with proper equipment.
