As the leading troops and police-contributing country to various UN peacekeeping missions, Bangladesh has called for better preparedness for the safety and security of UN peacekeepers, reported The Daily Star.

Addressing a Special Committee on the Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) at the General Assembly, Rabab Fatima, the permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN, said as one of the largest contributors, ensuring the safety and security of our contingent is of paramount importance to us.

The ambassador also said there is no alternative to stronger peacekeeping given the increased multidimensional and multifaceted threats to international peace and security. She also advocated constantly incorporating inputs from the peacekeepers on the ground in UN policy documents.

She suggested including emergency preparedness in the mandate setting and prioritizing peacekeepers for Covid-19 vaccines. 

Bangladesh has currently 7000 of its troops posted in various UN peacekeeping missions.

"The mandates of the peacekeeping operations must remain clear, realistic, and achievable, commensurate to the capabilities, ground realities, and available resources," She was quoted as saying on performance review on peacekeeping missions.

On the role of women in these missions, she called for creating enabling environment for women through increased resource allocations while also pushed for diversification of women’s roles through training and capacity building.