Inaction against attacks on UN peacekeepers dangerous: India

India has criticised the United Nations over lack of any "specific concrete action" by member states to penalise those who attack UN peacekeepers and warned that it might have "dangerous implications" for the maintenance of international peace and security.
India, the single largest contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping operations that has actively participated in 11 out of the 15 active peacekeeping operations, also told a special UN committee that the lack of action to hold those responsible "reflects poorly" on the Security Council.
"Any lack of action by member states to penalise those who attack UN peacekeepers reflects poorly on the Security Council," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asoke Kumar Mukerji said at the annual debate of the UN Special Committee for Peacekeeping Operations (C34) here yesterday.

"If the Security Council fails to deter such attacks, the very institution of UN peacekeeping will continue to be targeted across the world, with dangerous implications for the maintenance of international peace and security," he said.
Mukerjee said that in peacekeeping operations in the Congo, South Sudan and the Golan, there has not been any "specific concrete action" by the United Nations, led by the Security Council, to bring those who attack UN peacekeepers to justice.
He further said that peacekeeping operations should not become "self-perpetuating enterprises" with the Security Council "routinely" extending their mandates as it expressed concern over the deteriorating situation of such operations.

The context of the conflicts in which UN peacekeepers are deployed today is radically different from the past, he said.
"However, it is not clear whether the Security Council has fully examined these changes before somewhat routinely extending peacekeeping operations mandates. The C34 must ensure that PKOs do not become self-perpetuating enterprises," he said, adding that the situation regarding UN peacekeeping operations since 2014 has "only deteriorated".
Mukerjee said that the C34 should ask for a detailed report from the Security Council on what steps it has taken to enforce its resolutions on those who have targeted UN peacekeeping operations.