UN Moves To Toughen Response To Peacekeeper Misconduct
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published September 22, 2018 | 04:06 AM
United Nations, United States, Sept 21 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Sep, 2018 ) :The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution Friday aimed at toughening the UN response to peacekeeper misconduct following a string of failures by the blue helmets to protect civilians.
UN peacekeeping missions are facing a damaging wave of allegations of sex abuse and of failing to come to the aid of civilians caught up in violence, notably in the Central African Republic and South Sudan.
The United States presented the measure to improve peacekeeping performance but faced major resistance from Russia, which found it harsh toward troop-contributing countries.
The resolution is intended to reinforce measures such as repatriating peacekeepers, replacing units and withholding UN payments for soldiers involved in misconduct -- penalties that have irked troop contributors.
The measure "welcomes" special investigations set up by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to look into significant peacekeeping failures and stresses that the findings of these probes should be transparent.
At a council meeting last week, Pakistan, one of the top three troops contributors to peacekeeping, spoke out against a public "name-and-shame" approach to call out countries whose troops failed in their mission.
The United States, which is the number one financial contributor to the UN's $6.9 billion peacekeeping budget, has moved to cut funding and raised concern about the performance of missions.
A council diplomat described negotiations on the text as "very tough" and said there had been changes to the original draft that strongly pressured troop-contributing countries.
The United Nations has 96,000 peacekeepers serving in 14 missions worldwide.
Guterres has vowed to toughen the UN response to sexual abuse committed by the blue helmets and has appointed a victims' advocate to oversee the handling of cases.
His predecessor Ban Ki-moon took the unprecedented step of firing the commander of the mission in the Central African Republic over his handling of dozens of cases of sex abuse and misconduct by the peacekeepers.
Ban also sacked the head of the mission in South Sudan following a report that showed peacekeepers failed to respond to appeals for help from aid workers who came under attack at a nearby hotel compound.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
SC orders end of encroachments in Karachi
Nazish Jahangir denies viral screenshots, calls them fake
Govt likely to hike electricity price once again
Bismah Maroof announces immediate retirement from international cricket
Malala expresses unwavering support for Gaza people
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
More Stories From World
-
Ukraine jails couple for helping Russia strike hospital
3 minutes ago -
Togo opposition asks W.Africa court to overturn reforms
13 minutes ago -
Paris landmark Moulin Rouge's windmill sails collapse
32 minutes ago -
Ahead of feared Rafah invasion, Palestinians mourn bombardment dead
33 minutes ago -
155 killed in Tanzania as heavy rains cause floods, landslides: PM
33 minutes ago -
Car giants vie for EV crown at Beijing's Auto China show
33 minutes ago
-
Chinese defense minister to attend SCO meeting in Kazakhstan
43 minutes ago -
China-Bangladesh to hold joint military exercise in May
53 minutes ago -
Residents protest as Venice launches five-euro entry fee
1 hour ago -
Portugal marks 50 years of democracy with far right on rise
1 hour ago -
Pakistan envoy visits TomatoWorld in Netherlands
2 hours ago -
Chinese defense minister to attend SCO meeting in Kazakhstan
2 hours ago