By Iftikhar Ali UNITED NATIONS, Jun 23 (APP):The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday unanimously adopts a resolution, sponsored by Pakistan and Denmark and Pakistan, calling for an end to the near-total impunity for crimes against UN peacekeepers and strengthen accountability for those who attack UN personnel. Over 150 member states, a record number, co-sponsored the text drafted by the two elected members of the 15-member Council that is …
UNSC unanimously passes Pakistan/Denmark-sponsored draft urging end to impunity for attacks against UN peacekeepers
By Iftikhar Ali
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 23 (APP):The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday unanimously adopts a resolution, sponsored by Pakistan and Denmark and Pakistan, calling for an end to the near-total impunity for crimes against UN peacekeepers and strengthen accountability for those who attack UN personnel.
Over 150 member states, a record number, co-sponsored the text drafted by the two elected members of the 15-member Council that is aimed at addressing the rising lethality of attacks against “blue helmets”.
The resolution warns that the impunity has “undermined the safety and security” of UN personnel deployed in some of the world’s most dangerous regions.
Under its terms, the resolution stresses that accountability for attacks against UN personnel serving in peacekeeping operations was essential to deter future attacks, safeguard the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and the safety and security of such personnel, and calls upon all relevant stakeholders to cooperate with the UN to “facilitate the identification, investigation and prosecution of perpetrators without delay.”
Introducing the draft on behalf of the two main sponsors, Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad pointed out that more than 4,500 UN peacekeepers have lost their lives in the line of duty, including 183 Pakistani personnel. He pointed to the “record number” of Member States supporting the text and underscored Pakistan’s own long and robust history of participating in peacekeeping operations.
“Pakistan and Denmark have continued to work together as the Security Council’s ‘peace operations duo,’ to keep the Council’s focus on this important instrument for the maintenance of international peace and security,” the Pakistani envoy said.
“The draft before the Council today builds on [past resolutions] which strengthened the Council’s engagement on the safety and security of peacekeepers,” he said.
Across several missions, attacks UN peacekeepers have increased in their frequency and sophistication, Ambassador Asim Ahmad said, adding that peacekeepers were being targeted, often with little accountability.
“This resolution seeks to move the Council beyond statements condemning these attacks,” he said, pointing to practical measures to address gaps in existing accountability frameworks and regular reporting to the Council to assess needs.
Among other important steps, the Pakistani envoy said the resolution also designated a senior focal point in the Secretariat to improve coordination, follow-up, engagement with host States and troop- and police-contributing countries, and effective use of existing mechanisms.
Most importantly, he added, this resolution was a strong expression of the Council’s political will to stand by the peacekeepers it mandates and deploys.
“Impunity must not be allowed to fester,” the Pakistani envoy stressed. “The men and women serving under the UN flag will have the Council’s full backing – attacks against them will not be met with silence.”
The resolution came at a time when seven peacekeepers working with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have been killed since the start of the most recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in early March. And last week, two Malaysian members of the force were injured by broken glass from a vehicle during an airstrike about a kilometer from a UN position in Tibnin.
The text expressed grave concern about what it described as an escalation in the “number, scope and sophistication” of attacks, including the use of shelling, improvised explosive devices and unmanned aerial systems, highlighting the evolving arsenal that was increasingly deployed against peacekeeping missions in Africa and the Middle East.
The resolution reaffirmed the council’s determination to take further steps to address the issue if necessary.
All diplomats who spoke during the session praised the leadership of Pakistan and Denmark in initiating the resolution on this key issue.
