Colonel Tarunendra Pratap Singh Calls for Stronger UN Peacekeeper Protection

India has urged the United Nations to strengthen peacekeeping operations by improving protection for personnel, increasing accountability for attacks on peacekeepers and ensuring missions are backed by adequate resources and political support. The country, which says it has contributed more than 300,000 troops to 50 UN missions and lost 184 peacekeepers in service, made the pitch during the annual debate in New York on the comprehensive review of UN peacekeeping operations.

Addressing the debate, Colonel Tarunendra Pratap Singh, Military Advisor at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to international peace and security. He paid tribute to peacekeepers who have died serving in conflict zones across the world and said India’s approach to peacekeeping has been shaped by more than seven decades of operational experience.

India said it remains the largest cumulative contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping operations. According to the statement, Indian personnel have served in more than 50 missions, but those deployments have also carried a heavy human cost, with 184 Indian peacekeepers making the supreme sacrifice while carrying out their duties under the UN flag.

Colonel Singh said UN peacekeeping continues to be an indispensable tool for maintaining international peace because of the principles on which it is built, including impartiality, consent of the parties and the limited use of force only in self-defence or in defence of the mission mandate. He stressed, however, that peacekeeping can only deliver meaningful results when it is linked to a broader political process, supported by clear political objectives and provided with sufficient operational resources.

He warned that deploying peacekeepers without the capabilities needed to match the task, or without a realistic political strategy, risks weakening mission effectiveness. India also called for institutionalised consultations with troop- and police-contributing countries before the UN Security Council adopts or reviews peacekeeping mandates, arguing that those who provide personnel should have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting deployment, safety and operational responsibilities.

Col. Singh said the security environment confronting UN personnel has grown more complex, with peacekeepers now facing asymmetric and technologically enabled threats. India reiterated that those responsible for attacks on peacekeepers must be held accountable. In that context, he referred to India’s role in the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2589 in August 2021, which deals with accountability for crimes committed against UN peacekeepers.

New Delhi also pressed for a rationalisation of peacekeeping missions, saying operations without a clear operational rationale consume scarce resources and can undermine the credibility of the UN. The Indian representative argued that every mission must have clearly defined objectives and the capabilities needed to achieve them.

Alongside structural reforms, India called for faster integration of advanced technology and renewable energy solutions into peacekeeping operations. Colonel Singh said these changes could improve operational efficiency, strengthen situational awareness and reduce logistical difficulties in harsh deployment environments.

India also highlighted the role of women in peacekeeping. Colonel Singh noted that India has been deploying women peacekeepers since 1960, and pointed to the country’s deployment of the first all-female Formed Police Unit to Liberia in 2007 as an important milestone in UN peacekeeping history.

India said strengthening UN peacekeeping will remain a priority as part of its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2028–2029 term. Colonel Singh concluded by reiterating India’s support for a peacekeeping architecture that is better resourced, better protected and more representative of the international community.

The remarks reflected India’s longstanding role in global peacekeeping and its push for reforms that would better equip UN missions to operate in increasingly difficult security environments.