India Leads Global Push for Peacekeeper Accountability, UN Recognizes Women’s Role in Peace Missions
India is playing a pivotal role in global peacekeeping by leading efforts to bring justice for crimes committed against UN peacekeepers. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, acknowledged India’s contribution to shaping policy and strengthening accountability within peacekeeping operations.
India spearheads the Group of Friends for Promoting Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers, a 39-member coalition it established. Under its leadership, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution urging countries hosting UN missions to investigate and prosecute attacks on peacekeepers, support legal action, and contribute to a UN database tracking such incidents.
Five UN peacekeepers have been killed in attacks this year alone, underlining the urgency of this initiative.
India’s efforts are not limited to policy. The country hosted the first Conference for Women Peacekeepers and continues to advocate for more women in peacekeeping leadership. Lacroix emphasized the need for more senior female officers, particularly generals, to take on roles such as Force Commanders to improve mission effectiveness.
India currently deploys 5,375 peacekeepers to UN missions, including 151 women. It was the first country to send an all-women Formed Police Unit to a UN mission, stationed in Liberia. India also made history when Kiran Bedi became the UN’s first woman civilian police adviser.
Increasing female representation in leadership roles, according to Lacroix, ensures more inclusive and effective peacekeeping efforts.
India’s commitment to accountability, justice, and gender inclusion in peace operations positions it as a global leader in shaping the future of UN peacekeeping.
