Bangladesh committed to promote peace

The United Nations (UN) has appreciated Bangladesh’s role in promoting peace and development both globally and nationally, terming the country a committed actor. 

At present more than 6,500 Bangladeshis serve in peace operations across the world with their diverse roles, according to the UN.

Some of them provide protection while others ensure basic service delivery and facilitate aid access for millions of people affected by violence and conflict.

“Bangladesh has proven itself to be a committed actor in promoting peace and development both globally and nationally,” said UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC) in Dhaka Mia Seppo recently.

She said peacekeeping is changing and Bangladesh needs to be able to change its offer to peacekeeping to remain relevant.

For example, Seppo said, the number of women peacekeepers, whom Bangladesh has so ably deployed, should continue to increase.

Bangladesh may also wish to avail itself of support from the UN, as needed, in screening those to be deployed, especially to senior positions, in accordance with UN policies and also as a follow-up to recent human rights recommendations, said the UNRC.

She said Bangladesh’s contributions to peacekeeping is among the highest in the world, with the country being in the top four troop contributing countries for the last ten years running.

The UN resident coordinator, in her interaction with diplomatic correspondents, said Bangladesh is an important supporter of the UN secretary general’s reform agenda of peacekeeping including on zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse.

Bangladesh has supported the secretary-general’s “Sustaining Peace” agenda as articulated in the “Culture of Peace” and other relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.

The country’s support to the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism and associated agreement is reflected in the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2017-2020, said the UNRC.

According to United Nations Peacekeeping, Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations. The South Asian nation first deployed uniformed personnel to serve with the Organisation in 1988 when they were deployed to help monitor the armistice between Iran and Iraq. Over the past three decades, the contributions of these brave men and women in the countries in which they serve have been immense, it added.