Bangladesh tops the UN peacekeepers
New York, January 08: Bangladesh has remained the world’s largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping operations throughout 2014. A total of 9,400 peacekeepers of Bangladesh are now deployed in 10 different missions around the world.
This has been accomplished due to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s unequivocal commitment to respond positively and quickly to the UN call for strengthening peace and stability worldwide.
Bangladesh, as a peace loving country, stands strongly committed to assist the UN in the maintenance of international peace and security as reflected in the Constitution of Bangladesh which was framed by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1972.
Bangladesh is also one of the top contributors of police and female peacekeepers.
Bangladesh has, so far, contributed to 54 peacekeeping missions in 39 countries around the world, where more than 127,000 peacekeepers have participated.
Bangladesh is now a brand name in the international arena as the bearer of “Blue Helmet” for establishing world peace.
Besides responding to the call for humanity, the peacekeepers of Bangladesh have attained vast experience and opportunities to serve the international community of peacekeepers. They have also been earning foreign currency and contributing immensely to the national economy.
Bangladesh has a state-of-the-art institute for peace support operations and training.
The professionalism and dedication of peacekeepers of Bangladesh are hailed in the peacekeeping community and they are often regarded as “Model Peacekeepers”.
Bangladesh proudly co-hosted the “High Level Summit on Peacekeeping” during the last UN General Assembly along with USA, Japan and Rwanda where Heads of the States including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attended.
Bangladesh is closely monitoring and actively engaging with all partners in peacekeeping. As part of active involvement in the “Asian Regional Consultation on Secretary General’s High Level Independent Panel on UN Peace Operations” Bangladesh is hosting the first consultative meeting to be held from 20-22 January 2015 in Dhaka.
Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali and UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel Chair Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta, Nobel Laureate and former President of Timor Leste jointly invited the panelists. Along with 20 Panel members, 31 regional countries are also being invited to participate in the event.
Bangladesh is keeping pace with the relevant changes particularly in terms of coping with new technology for peacekeeping. The same has been echoed in one of the recent statements of Permanent Representative of the US in the UN, Samantha Power.
She lauded efforts of Bangladesh as saying “over the last year, Bangladesh has conducted a comprehensive internal review to craft a new national peacekeeping strategy, aimed at adapting to the demands of contemporary peacekeeping; it has recognized the evolution of peacekeeping and pledged to make the protection of civilians as essential component of its troops’ training.”
