India asks UN depts to highlight peacekeeping success stories

India, the single largest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, has asked the UN's public information department and the peacekeeping office to collaborate in highlighting peacekeeping success stories and providing accurate and impartial information about activities of the peacekeepers in strife-torn lands.
Participating in a UN General Assembly session here on 'Questions relating to Information,' Minister in the Indian Mission to the UN S Srinivas Prasad said India fully supports the Department of Public Information's work of promoting and advancing the UN's goals through its continued campaigns on important issues like the post-2015 development framework, decolonization, peacekeeping, disarmament, human rights, sustainable development, poverty eradication and climate change.

Prasad said the Departments of Public Information, Peace Keeping Office (DPKO) and Field Support (DFS) should work more closely to "bring to the fore UN peacekeeping success stories and provide accurate, impartial and timely information on the activities of UN peacekeepers in strife-torn lands."
He added that the needs of the UN peacekeepers should be specially highlighted and brought to public notice.
Prasad also acknowledged DPI for working closely with the Counter-terrorism Implementation Task Force Office in promoting the implementation of the UN Global Counter- terrorism Strategy and providing communications support to the task force and its working groups.
India also supports the UN Academic Impact (UNAI) programme, he said, adding that the Indian government believes that the government cannot do everything and development is a joint effort with the people.

In this context India recognises the significance of DPI's Holocaust outreach programme and its aim of using the programme as an educational initiative to prevent genocides.

India is also supportive of the DPI's 'Music for Peace' initiative, the inaugural function of which saw a performance by the renowned Sarod mastero Amjad Ali Khan.
Prasad expressed appreciation for the weekly UN radio programmes in Hindi and Urdu, catering to the large pool of Hindi/Urdu speakers.
"A greater focus on, featuring UN engagement in development activities in South Asia as well as programmes woven around peace keepings activities, given the significant contribution from South Asia towards peace keeping efforts would be welcome," he added.

Prasad suggested seeing a greater engagement of local talent in South Asia in programmes produced for the region, in view of the rapidly growing pool of young internet/social media users in the region.