Stressing the role of technology in the safety of UN peacekeepers, India has revealed its plans to launch a mobile tech platform in August this year that will provide terrain-related information to the Blue Helmets in the line of duty.
According to India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu, ‘Infusion of appropriate technology can play a significant role in improving the safety and security of the peacekeepers. Use of field-focused, reliable and cost-effective new technologies in peacekeeping operations that are driven by practical needs of end users on the ground is the need of the hour.’
Speaking at the UN Security Council open debate on ‘United Nations peacekeeping operations: Improving safety and security of peacekeepers’, he said India, in partnership with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Operational Support, has been working towards developing a mobile tech platform ‘UNITE AWARE’ that helps increase situational awareness and provides terrain-related information to peacekeepers.
He added: ‘We have already contributed USD 1.64 million towards this project and hope to launch it during our August presidency later this year.’. India will be the President of the 15-nation UN Security Council in August this year. India is one of the largest troop contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions and has contributed more than 250,000 troops in 49 missions over the years.
“Cumulatively, the largest from any country,” Naidu said, before adding that India is ‘proud of its long and rich tradition’ of contribution to the UN peacekeeping missions. An Indian peacekeepers brigade stationed in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, is presently saving lives in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo.
The Security Council needs to authorise carefully thought-out mandates to peacekeepers in close consultation with troop contributing countries since protection of peacekeepers is as important as that of civilians.