United Nation:
India has expressed hope that more nations would contribute greater number of women military and police personnel for UN peacekeeping operations as they can play a major role in post-conflict reconstruction of traumatised societies.
Participating in a Security Council session on 'Women, Peace and Security' here on Friday, visiting member of Parliament and senior leader of the Congress Party M Krishnasswamy, said India was the first nation to successfully deploy an all-women police force as part of the UN peacekeeping operations.
"By deploying women to deal with conflict situations, including women peacekeepers as well as women protection advisers, we have demonstrated that we can assist in empowering women to deal with the crime of sexual violence in armed conflict and play a major role in post-conflict reconstruction of traumatised societies," he said.
Krishnasswamy expressed hope that more nations would contribute greater number of women military and police personnel for UN peacekeeping operations.
"The national governments have the primary responsibility for prosecuting and deterring violence against women including sexual violence," he said.
Given that India is one of the leading contributors to UN peacekeeping operations with over 160,000 peacekeepers under the blue flag during the past six decades, Krishnasswamy said the Security Council must make available the resources that are required to implement the expanded scope of peacekeeping mandates.
He said that nations must not lose sight of the difficulties in ascertaining credible and verifiable information from armed conflict zones. "It is our firm view that capacity building should be a key focus of UN efforts as affected countries emerge from armed conflict situations.
To ensure sustainable peace and stability, State institutions, including in the area of security, rule of law and justice, need to be augmented and strengthened," Krishnasswamy said.
