India has again raised its voice concerning the lack of accountability for crimes against UN peacekeepers, asserting that this impunity undermines international peace efforts. At a high-level meeting of the Group of Friends (GoF) for Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Harish, stressed that ensuring justice for peacekeepers is a strategic necessity.

Ambassador Harish highlighted the tremendous obstacles faced by UN peacekeepers in increasingly dangerous environments, noting that crimes against them largely go unpunished. This lack of accountability emboldens assailants and severely undermines international peace efforts. He emphasized that accountability is not only a legal requirement but also essential for the integrity and effectiveness of international peacekeeping efforts. Ensuring justice improves the safety and morale of peacekeepers, enabling them to carry out their vital missions more effectively.

The meeting, co-chaired by India and other nations, underscored the critical need to combat impunity for attacks against peacekeepers. Accountability is not merely about justice for individuals but is fundamental to the effectiveness, credibility, and future of UN Peace Operations worldwide. Around 40 member states, senior UN officials, and field experts participated in the meeting to discuss strengthening cooperation and improving laws and strategies to bring those responsible for crimes against peacekeepers to justice.

Since 1948, over 1,000 UN personnel have been killed in malicious acts during peacekeeping operations. Since 2013, the majority of these fatalities have occurred in the Central African Republic (CAR), Mali, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Despite the clear policy and legal framework, impunity remains largely the norm.

India has been actively involved in addressing this issue. In December 2022, during its presidency of the UN Security Council, India formally launched the Group of Friends for Accountability of Crimes Against Peacekeepers. This group builds upon UN Security Council Resolution 2589, passed in 2021, which specifically aimed to improve accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. Resolution 2589 called for a renewed focus on measures to bring to justice the perpetrators of acts of violence against UN personnel serving in peacekeeping operations. It also urged member states to investigate and hold perpetrators accountable and to repatriate units when there is credible evidence of widespread or systemic sexual exploitation or abuse.

The UN Secretariat and member states have focused on how to pursue justice for peacekeepers who have been victims of attacks. The UN Secretariat is expected to adopt a two-year strategic plan to address crimes against peacekeepers. The adoption of the 2020 standard operating procedures (SOPs) on the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of serious crimes against peacekeepers has triggered the creation of a workstream on this topic. Furthermore, the Working Group on Accountability for Serious Crimes against Peacekeepers was established to gather all relevant UN entities and some missions to share good practices and exchange information on the prosecution of crimes against peacekeepers.

India has a long history of support for UN peacekeeping operations, with Indian peacekeepers having served with distinction and courage in virtually every major UN mission. 182 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

To enhance accountability, comprehensive databases and analytical tools for recording and assessing crimes against peacekeepers are crucial. India has facilitated the launch of a database to record all crimes against UN peacekeepers.

Ensuring accountability for crimes against UN peacekeepers requires engagement at the political, operational, and technical levels to ensure the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of these cases by countries hosting UN peacekeeping operations, in line with Security Council resolution 2589. While the UN can waive immunity for serious crimes, intervention often occurs in countries with failed judicial systems, making prosecution and conviction difficult. Troop-contributing countries are urged to investigate allegations expeditiously and hold their nationals accountable.