Success of peacekeeping ops depends on UN's moral force: PM Modi

New York: Pressing for UNSC reforms, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday regretted that nations contributing to peacekeeping operations have no say in decision-making as he asserted that success of such mission depends ultimately on the "moral force" of the world body.

Addressing the Leaders' Summit on Peacekeeping hosted by US President Barack Obama here, he said India remains committed to the peacekeeping efforts and announced contribution of one additional battalion of Indian troops comprising 850 soldiers, three police units and higher representation of women peacekeepers to such missions.

"Success of peacekeeping ultimately depends not on the weapons they (soldiers) carry but by the moral force of the UNSC," he told the gathering including Obama, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and leaders from a large number of other countries.

"The problems arise to a large extent because troop contributing countries do not have a role in decision-making process," he added.

India is one of the largest contributors to the peacekeeping having provided 180000 soldiers to 48 of the 69 such missions.

Modi underlined the need for carrying out the "long pending task of reforms" of the UN Security Council to ensure its "relevance and effectiveness".

Modi welcomed holding of the peacekeeping summit at a time when the UN is in the 70th year of its existence.

He said the security environment was changing with peacekeepers facing a range of complex challenges as demands are growing and resources are decreasing.

"Mandates are ambitious but resources are limited... Today's peacekeepers are called upon not only to maintain peace and security, but also address a range of challenges," the Prime Minister said.
Asserting that India's commitment to peacekeeping remains strong and will grow, he noted that the country had been contributing to such missions from the beginning and was the first to send its female unit to Liberia.

161 of Indian soldiers have made the supreme sacrifice during peacekeeping missions, he said.

Modi pointed out that Indian soldiers had been working on peacekeeping missions since World War II during which it lost more than 24000 troops and nearly half of that went missing. "This legacy of sacrifice is shared by three nations present here," he said, in an apparent reference to Pakistan and Bangladesh.

He said that a memorial wall for the fallen peacekeepers should be erected expeditiously, for which India will contribute financially also.