Title: Protecting the Peacekeeper: Suppressing the Deployment of Improvised Explosive Devices Against Peace Operations
Text of the Statement delivered by Mohammad Aamir Khan Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, , says a press release received here today from New York.
Your Excellency Amb. Martin Kimani, PR of Kenya
I would like to thank you and all the co-sponsors for convening this important meeting. Let me also thank the briefers for sharing their invaluable insight from the Secretariat and the field.
UN peacekeeping is arguably the most cost-effective tool to maintain global peace and security. Men and women serving under the UN flag risk their lives to implement complex mandates, protect civilians, assist disarmament, build peace and facilitate transitions.
But they also face increasingly difficult challenges, including the high-risk environments impacted by IED’s. Indeed, the disruptive potential of IED’s is huge: They restrict force mobility, spread fear across communities and undermine the efforts of host government to restore State authority. The discussions at this meeting are therefore most timely.
An effective counter-IED strategy depends on taking a holistic view of the safety and security of UN peacekeepers. The recent surge in attacks and fatalities of peacekeepers make it imperative to make a more ‘strategic assessment’ of the threat posed by IED’s. A new ‘preparedness paradigm’ should shape our response, with a focus on enhancing the capabilities of peacekeepers.
We must endeavor to ensure that peacekeeping missions are adequately resourced. They should have the necessary tools to deliver on the mandates and respond to the growing expectations. Inadequate resources can put the lives of peacekeepers at risk, undermine their performance and weaken the overall credibility of UN peacekeeping as a time-tested institution.
A counter IED strategy has much to do with modernizing equipment, capacity building and adequate medical support. These three areas should be at the forefront of our integrated planning process.
We must harness technology, consistent with the basic principles of peacekeeping, to enhance the capabilities of peacekeepers, for example, in mobility, situational awareness and quick reaction.
Excellencies,
Inclusivity is key to the success of any policy formulation process. While working on a counter-IED strategy, the Secretariat must involve the Troop and Police Contributing Countries (T/PCC’s) who bring in a unique perspective about threat dynamics and challenges on the ground.
There is also a need for greater engagement with the host countries. Enhancing consultations with host countries and respecting their ownership should be part of a comprehensive approach to counter the IED threat.
We would also like to underline the importance of building partnerships, including with regional organizations, to address the training and capacity building needs of host countries and TCC’s. Such synergies can play a critical role in denying the illegal armed groups and terrorists the access to explosives and other materials used to manufacture and detonate IEDs.
Excellencies,
We must employ more technical expertise to keep the UN peacekeepers informed of the IED threats within the Mission area. The process of IED threat mitigation should be continuous throughout the Mission lifecycle.
As a major Troop/Police Contributing country, Pakistan has a rich experience in the development and implementation of a national counter IED strategy. We have also successfully implemented regulatory measures to control precursor material usable in IED’s. Over the last two decades, our security forces have enhanced their capabilities in terms of IED awareness, jamming and disposal as well as in forensics and investigations. We have also established a counter IED, explosives and munition school providing state of the art training, including to participants from other countries. Leveraging this capacity, Pakistan would like to offer counter IED trainings for Troop and Police Contributing Countries at our C-IED and peacekeeping training centers. The endeavor is part of our efforts to support a more coordinated, coherent UN response to IED’s in peacekeeping missions. In October this year, Pakistan will host the peacekeeping ministerial preparatory meeting, along with the Netherlands, on safety and security of peacekeepers which will provide us the opportunity to discuss the issue of IED’s comprehensively.
I thank you!
