UN’s move to honour fallen peacekeepers; PM, EAM hails the development
A proposal by India to have a Memorial Wall in the United Nations Headquarters to honour the fallen peacekeepers has got approval from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Nearly 190 countries gave the nod. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday hailed the development. The Prime Minister thanked countries for supporting India’s resolution. The UNGA adopted the resolution late Wednesday.
“Delighted that the Resolution to establish a new Memorial Wall for fallen Peacekeepers, piloted by India, has been adopted in the UN General Assembly,” Modi tweeted. “The Resolution received a record 190 co-sponsorships. Grateful for everyone’s support,” he said.
Delighted that the Resolution to establish a new Memorial Wall for fallen Peacekeepers, piloted by India, has been adopted in the UN General Assembly. The Resolution received a record 190 co-sponsorships. Grateful for everyone’s support.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 15, 2023
Jaishankar expressed thanks to all member states who co-sponsored the resolution. He said the resolution that received a record 190 co-sponsorships is a testimony to faith in India’s contributions and intent. The passage of the resolution came days ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s official state visit to the United States and his participation in the International Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations headquarters on June 21.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj introduced the draft resolution titled ‘Memorial wall for fallen United Nations peacekeepers‘ on Wednesday in the UN General Assembly Hall and it was adopted by consensus.
The resolution welcomed the initiative of member States to “establish at a suitable and prominent place at United Nations Headquarters in New York a memorial wall to honour the memory of fallen peacekeepers, giving due consideration to the modalities involved, including the recording of the names of those who have made the supreme sacrifice.”While introducing the resolution, Kamboj said the memorial wall will be a testimony to the importance that the UN bestows on peacekeeping.
She said it will remind people of not only the sacrifices of the fallen but also be a “constant reminder of the cost of our decisions.” India is currently the third largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping with more than 6,000 military and police personnel deployed to Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, the Middle East and Western Sahara. About 177 Indian peacekeepers have died while on duty, the highest number by far from any troop-contributing country.
The resolution was submitted by 18 countries including Bangladesh, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Nepal, Rwanda and the US. The resolution stipulates that the wall be completed within three years of the text’s adoption.
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