India has underlined that strengthening United Nations peacekeeping operations will be a central pillar of its campaign for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term. Elections for the seat are due to be held next year.

Speaking during the United Nations General Assembly Fourth Committee's annual debate on the comprehensive review of peacekeeping operations in New York, Colonel Tarunendra Pratap Singh, Military Adviser at India's Permanent Mission to the UN, said peacekeeping remains fundamental to the organisation's core purpose.

He stated, “It is because we regard peacekeeping as irreplaceable to this institution's core purpose that India has identified it as a priority for our candidature for the Security Council for the term 2028-29.”

Reaffirming New Delhi's commitment to the UN's peacekeeping framework, Singh declared: “We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to UN peacekeeping and to a peacekeeping architecture that is better resourced, better protected, and more representative of the world it serves.”

India highlighted its long-standing role in UN peacekeeping, noting that the country has contributed more than 3,00,000 troops across 50 peacekeeping missions over the decades, making it the largest troop-contributing nation in the history of UN peacekeeping operations.

Singh also reflected on India's previous leadership role at the Security Council, particularly during its presidency in August 2021. During that period, India successfully championed a UNSC resolution demanding greater accountability for crimes committed against peacekeepers and calling for justice when attacks occur.

The resolution urged countries hosting UN peacekeeping missions to ensure accountability for the killing of, and all acts of violence against, UN personnel serving in peacekeeping operations. India indicated that it intends to continue advancing this agenda internationally.

Describing attacks on peacekeepers as a major challenge facing UN operations, Singh warned that modern peacekeeping missions increasingly confront “asymmetric and technologically enabled threats”. He stressed that those responsible for targeting peacekeepers must be held accountable.

Emphasising the human cost of peacekeeping service, Singh said, “India upholds the safety and security of peacekeepers as one of the most important aspects of peacekeeping.” He noted that 184 Indian peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving in UN missions.

India also called for troop- and police-contributing countries to play a greater role in shaping peacekeeping mandates approved by the Security Council. Singh argued that an institutionalised consultation mechanism should be established so that contributing nations are consulted before mandates are adopted or reviewed.

He further stated that peacekeeping operations are most effective when they form part of a wider political strategy supported by clear objectives and adequate resources. According to Singh, missions succeed when backed by a “broader political process with a clearly envisioned political outcome and commensurate resources for peacekeepers”.

Highlighting the need for operational effectiveness, he added: “We should ensure capability enhancement and commensurate resources at the point of authorisation.”

India's renewed emphasis on peacekeeping comes at a time when the United Nations is examining how missions can respond more effectively to evolving security challenges, including terrorism, armed militias, cyber-related threats, disinformation campaigns and the growing use of advanced technologies in conflict zones.

New Delhi has consistently argued that peacekeeping mandates must be realistic, adequately funded and developed in close consultation with countries providing personnel on the ground.

ANI