UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh fully supports the UN peacebuilding efforts and the notion of "sustaining peace," a Bangladeshi diplomat said Monday.
Speaking at a meeting of the United Nations Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, Masud Bin Momen, the permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN, said that his country also supports the secretary-general's call for a "surge in peace diplomacy."
"We welcome the Secretary-General's reforms in the Peace & Security architecture," he said, adding that "we now look forward to their positive impacts on the ground especially in terms of better performance by the Secretariat as well as improved coherence, safety and security, and operational effectiveness of the UN Peacekeeping Operations."
Peacekeeping remains an important pillar in his country's foreign policy priorities, the diplomat said.
Bangladesh is one of the biggest troops contributors for UN peacekeeping operations around the world.
"My delegation emphasizes on the need for a frank dialogue on the future direction of UN peacekeeping in the days ahead," he said, adding that the overriding goal should be to further strengthen the UN peacekeeping architecture, to ensure that "our Blue Helmets do not suffer from the lack of appropriate resources in carrying out their mandates."
Peacekeepers should be given clear, realistic, and achievable mandates commensurate to their capabilities and pegged to the ground realities, he said, adding that they should be adequately authorized and equipped and resources to fulfil their mandates.
Efforts must be made to improve the safety and security situation of the peacekeepers on the ground, which has to be duly aligned with the notion of Responsibility to Protect, he said.
"We need to stand strongly behind SG's zero tolerance policy against all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers," he said.
