India calls for making selection of UN peacekeepers more stringent

India suggested on December 6 that the selection of the United Nations peacekeepers should be more stringent and even elaborated on a series of measures in this regard to make the process more effective. According to India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin laid emphasis on professional competence in order to enhance the solidarity at the global level. This was also during a high-level event at the UN Department for Peace Operations for which India partnered with Portugal, Vietnam, and Uruguay. Akbaruddin also said that there is 'no substitute' for the professional competence of those who are engaged in the peacekeeping operations. 

Read - United Nations Says Current Decade 'hottest In History' As Emissions Rise

Akbaruddin said, “India believes that even while broad participation in peacekeeping is important to enhance global solidarity, there can be no substitute for the professional competence of those engaged in all aspects of this global enterprise”.

Read - United Nations Opens Two-week Climate Change Summit In Madrid

India contributed most number of troops

India has historically contributed the most number of troops to the UN peacekeeping operations.  Akbaruddin also said that minimum operational benchmarks are essential which all contingents shall meet when they are deployed while the members of the UN should also work collectively towards establishing them. India's Permanent Representative also belives that need of diversity in deployment is 'understandable', and that some variations are 'inevitable', however, Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System (PCRS) should be the only and 'sole mechanism' in order to select the police unit. 

"The guidelines require that the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System (PCRS) should be the sole mechanism for the selection of a military or police unit for deployment. The four distinct levels (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Rapid Deployment Level (RDL)) are meant to indicate a natural progression of readiness for deployment. Diversity in terms of deployment needs is understandable, and some variations are inevitable," Akbaruddin said. 

Read - Manjari Fadnnis Stars In The United Nations-backed Short Film, Megha's Divorce

Read - Here's How Much India Has Pledged To Contribute To United Nations

(With ANI inputs)