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Mr. Chairman, I thank you for giving me the floor. First and foremost, our deepest condolences for the Senegalese Peacekeepers who made the supreme sacrifice in MINUSMA yesterday. I pray that their families and friends find the strength to overcome this irreparable loss.
2.    I thank the President of the General Assembly and  ASG Africa for their opening remarks. We associate ourselves with the statement by the Kingdom of Morocco on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Chair, 
3.     India has been at the forefront of UN Peacekeeping for seven decades now.  More than 260,000 Indians have worn the Blue Helmet in 49 missions across the world.  Today, we have more than 6000 Peacekeepers deployed in nine out of 12 missions.
4.       The security landscape of Peacekeeping missions today is more complex, more violent, riskier. Terrorists and Armed Groups view civilians and Peacekeepers alike as fair targets.  Certain Armed Groups have near-conventional capabilities. It is, therefore, no accident that fatalities among Peacekeepers have been rising steadily.
5.        It is, therefore, imperative for Peacekeeping to evolve to meet the challenges of contemporary times. To this end, I would like to make the following nine points:

• First, Mission Mandates have to be clear and realistic. Tasking and resourcing need to be correlated. Making mandates ever more robust has not worked, there have to be better solutions. The need for triangular consultations for mandate formulation is starker than ever.
• Two, Local stakeholders, especially local populations, should be fully cognizant of the capabilities and limitations of Peacekeeping missions. An effective mission communications strategy is critical to minimise loopholes that can be exploited by misinformation and disinformation.
• Three, trust and smooth coordination between the Mission leadership and the host State is essential for Mission success. Mistrust and hostility between Mission and Host State jeopardizes the mission and endangers Peacekeepers.
• Four, malicious acts against Peacekeepers are a cause of deep concern. In 2022 itself, 32 Peacekeepers lost their lives to hostile action. Bringing perpetrators of such acts to justice is critical for the safety of our Peacekeepers. With this in view, India piloted Security Council Resolution 2589, which calls for promoting accountability for crimes against Peacekeepers, during its Presidency of the Security Council in August 2021. In December 2022, we, as Co-Chairs, launched a Group of Friends that will seek to boost the efforts of the Secretariat and Missions in promoting accountability for crimes against Peacekeepers. The Group will hold its first meeting at the end of March 2023.
• Five, Strong security sector and Rule of Law institutions of host states can protect civilians from terrorists and Armed Groups, and create conditions for peace and development. Capacity building of such institutions, according to national needs and priorities, is critical.
• Six, current conflict dynamics demand resources that grant mobility, agility and flexibility to Missions. Keeping this need in mind, India is deploying a helicopter unit in MINUSMA by early May this year. The unit will contribute significantly to Mission mobility and response capability.
• Similarly, harnessing technology is critical to increase mission effectiveness. With a view to focus the Council and Secretariat on the issue, India steered a Presidential Statement on the importance of technology in Peacekeeping Missions during its  Presidency in August 2021, and followed this up by enabling the roll out of the UNITE AWARE Situational Awareness Platform, in the same year. We  note with satisfaction the platform’s entry in UNFICYP last month,  and look forward to roll this out in other missions, especially high priority Chapter VII missions.
• Seven, India deployed the first-ever all Women’s contingent in Liberia in 2007. This contingent established beyond doubt that Women Peacekeepers  catalyze the involvement of women and youth in developmental activities, which is important for states emerging from conflict. Going forward, we intend to significantly increase the numbers of Indian women Peacekeepers in coming years. As a start to the endeavor, we deployed our largest single sub unit of Women Peacekeepers since Liberia in  UNISFA (Abyei), in early January  this year.
• Eight, India believes that UN missions should not exist in perpetuity. Exit strategies should be part of the Mission planning process from inception. Maintaining redundant Missions for political expediency diverts essential resources from the more important Chapter VII missions. It is high time we reviewed the need for continuing such missions.
• Nine, we appreciate the efforts of the Department of Operational Support to encourage the use of renewable energy in peacekeeping missions, and assure our support to this worthy effort. We will endeavor to migrate one complete Head Quarters location to renewable power sources as a proof of concept, by the year end. At the same time, we also feel that while we should do all we can to preserve our environment, such concerns should not eclipse the core reasons for which Missions were originally deployed.

Finally, Chair, I would like to pay homage to the 4283 Peacekeepers who have lost their lives under the Blue Flag, including 177 Indian Peacekeepers. The Special Committee has been recommending the establishment of a Memorial Wall as a tribute to the fallen Peacekeepers for many years. We believe that it is time to act upon the recommendation and establish a Memorial to their sacrifice at a prominent location at UNHQ. We stand ready to contribute to this noble endeavour.

7.  I conclude, Chair, with assurances of India’s continued positive contribution to UN Peacekeeping.  As in previous years, we will look forward to engaging with other member states to formulate a progressive and constructive report this year.
Thank you!