New Delhi, June 2
Reflecting the important role it is playing in promoting peace operations worldwide, India has become the largest contributor to UN missions since inception.

So far, India has taken part in 43 peacekeeping missions with a total contribution exceeding 160000 troops and a significant number of police personnel.

About 8000 Indian UN peacekeepers, both men and women, are currently deployed in nine missions across the globe, including Congo, South Sudan, Liberia, UNDOF, Haiti, Lebanon, Abeyi, Cyprus and Cote de Ivoire.

India’s contribution to UN peacekeeping operations came in for a huge applause at an event to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN earlier this week.

Speaking on the occasion, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Asoke Mukerji recalled the supreme sacrifice made by five Indian peacekeepers from the 6 Mahar in an ambush on April nine in South Sudan while escorting a UN convoy of staff and civilians.

“The nature of the peacekeeping mandate is constantly changing in keeping with the situation on the ground. It is my hope that the troops contributing countries like India will be enabled to find a mechanism by the UN Security Council in drawing up the technical parameters of this mandate in consultation with the troop contributing countries to deal professionally with such new challenges,” he said.

As part of the event, a photo exhibition showcasing historical origins of India’s UN peacekeeping participation was also organised by the Indian mission. The contribution of Indian peacekeepers to assist civilian populations, especially women and children, and the role of the first-ever Indian all female formed police unit in the mission in Liberia were also highlighted at the exhibition.