Pakistan achieves goal of female deployment in UN Peacekeeping Missions

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said on Tuesday that Pakistan is proud to have achieved the goal of deployment of 15 per cent female staff officers in UN Peacekeeping Missions, thereby meeting the benchmark set by the UN. He expressed these views in his tweet today. “Pakistan is proud to have achieved the goal of deployment of 15 percent female staff officers in UN Peacekeeping Missions, thereby meeting the benchmark set by the UN” FO spokesperson tweeted.

Pakistan is proud to have achieved the goal of deployment of 15 percent female staff officers in UN Peacekeeping Missions, thereby meeting the benchmark set by the UN

— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) February 12, 2019

Pakistan’s Ambassador to United Nations (UN) Maleeha Lodhi said that the Islamabad has enhanced the participation of women in UN peacekeeping operations. Speaking at the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Lodhi, said that, “Pakistan is proud to have achieved the goal of deployment of 15 per cent female staff officers in its missions”. Lodhi was referring to the fact that in less than 18 months, Pakistan has gone from zero participation of female military staff officers in peacekeeping operations to the UN prescribed benchmark of 15 per cent, the statement added. Based on the Security Council’s call in 2015 to double its female deployment in the uniform component, the UN’s Office of Military Affairs set the target of deploying 15 per cent female military and staff officers in peacekeeping missions by December 2018. The Pakistani envoy further informed the UN Committee that Pakistan was deploying an engagement team consisting of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May 2019.

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The Pakistani envoy stressed that the safety and security of peacekeepers remained urgent as threats faced by them have increased due to complex and evolving conflicts. “Deployment decisions”, she said, “have to be based on consultations, preparation and knowledge of the ground situation”.