First Meeting of the Group of Friends for Promoting Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers

[April 24, 2023; 1000 – 1200 hrs – CR 8]

Opening Remarks by Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj

Permanent Representative of India to the UN

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Dear Colleagues, on behalf of the Group of Friends for promoting Accountability for Crime against Peacekeepers, I warmly welcome Under Secretary General, Department of Peace Operations Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under Secretary General, Department of Operational Support Dr. Atul Khare, Special Representative of the Secretary General, MONUSCO Ms. Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary General, MINUSCA, Ms Valentine Rugwabiza, Officer in Charge of Mission and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General MINUSMA Ms. Daniela KROSLAK, Assistant Secretary General Mr. Alexander Zouev, and Charge d’Affaires of Lebabon Mrs. Jeanne Mrad.

2. We are all concerned by the fact that peacekeeping is becoming more dangerous and violent by the day. The proliferation of terrorists and armed groups, high technology and misinformation are increasing the risks to our peacekeepers. It is no accident that 329 peacekeepers have fallen to malicious acts since 2013. Data establishes that there is a clear co-relation between failure to hold perpetrators of such acts to account, and peacekeeping fatalities.

3. In August 2021, India had piloted Security Council Resolution 2589, which gave clear directions to empower missions to pursue accountability, had asked host states to bring perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers to justice and had also called for building the host state capacities to enable them to address the impunity of such perpetrators.

4. This Group of Friends came into being in December 2022, four months ago, during India’s Presidency of the Security Council, with a view to help promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. Since then, our experts have been in close coordination with the Secretariat, and the Missions, with a view to understanding the nuances of promoting accountability. In the process, we identified three major stakeholders namely, the Secretariat, the Missions and the host states. The interplay of these three entities is a significant contributor in the efforts to promote accountability. Today’s meeting has been designed to understand their perspectives on promotion of accountability with a view to evolve a Plan of Work within the next fortnight, which will guide the endeavors of the Group for the next one year.

5. With this objective in mind, I will now give the floor to Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith of Bangladesh, who will take us through the briefings by the Secretariat.

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