A two-day UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Preparatory Meeting held in Islamabad & marked sacrifices of Syed Ali Geelani

ISLAMABAD, Sep 1(SABAH): A two-day UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Preparatory Meeting hosted by Pakistan was held in Islamabad.

The event, co-hosted by Japan, was held under the theme of “Safety and Security of UN Peacekeepers.” It brought together a diverse range of participants including senior officials from the UN Secretariat and representatives from UN Member States, as well as local and international experts on the subject.

The Meeting featured rich and productive discussions, spread over five substantive sessions, on important aspects of safety and security of UN peacekeepers. These included: capacity building needs; the international law perspective; importance of medical care; role of technology and strategic communication; and the threats posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). 

These deliberations were geared towards producing concrete ideas that will serve as a foundation for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of UN peacekeeping operations. The meeting explored the critical challenges faced by UN peacekeepers, ensuring their safety and security, and identifying effective measures to address these challenges. The valuable insights generated at the meeting will contribute significantly to the success of the Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting scheduled in Ghana in December 2023, and go a long way in strengthening UN peace missions.   

In his keynote address at the Conference, Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to UN peacekeeping and our vision for the safety and security of peacekeepers. He underlined the need to take proactive measures to address the rise in peacekeeper fatalities and to ensure their wellbeing with focus on capacity-building, medical care, legal frameworks and adequate accountability mechanisms.

In his concluding address, Foreign Secretary Dr. Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi underlined Pakistan’s vision for the future of peacekeeping. He stated that moving forward, Pakistan will strengthen and diversify our peacekeeping contributions to make them even more substantive and robust.

He said in addition to pledging infantry units, Pakistan will strengthen its commitments in the fields of aviation, signals technology, mine action, medical support, peacekeeping intelligence, and innovative capacity building. Pakistan will also promote community engagement by maintaining its long tradition of holding free medical camps, providing trauma and psychological support, restoring essential infrastructure, and extending vocational and skill training. Our women peacekeepers will continue to play a pivotal role in all these endeavours.

During the last few days, the Foreign Minister has held important conversations with Foreign Ministers of Kuwait, Denmark and Cuba as well as the Acting U.S. Under Secretary of State.  He also held meetings with the resident Heads of Missions in Islamabad.  These include: Ambassadors of Australia, Czech Republic, Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, the United States the Charge d’ Affaires of China and the Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan. These interactions have afforded an opportunity to told fruitful exchanges on further strengthening bilateral ties, charting future bilateral benchmarks and paving the way for enhanced collaboration in various domains.

Today is the second death anniversary of the iconic Kashmiri leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani. He breathed his last in a long-drawn house arrest on 01 September 2021. In a horrific act, his dead body was snatched by the Indian occupation forces from his family, and hurriedly buried in a graveyard in the absence of his family and friends. His family and friends were not allowed to pay their final respects or bury him in a graveyard of his choice.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani was a true voice and face of the Kashmiris’ struggle for their rights and freedom. His unflinching commitment to the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, in the face of persistent persecution and tremendous personal hardship, has inspired generations of Kashmiris in resisting the occupation and tyranny. “Syed Ali Geelani will be remembered for his matchless sacrifices and unconditional love for Kashmir and for Pakistan.