New York, Sept 26 (UNB): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday extended Bangladesh's full support to the UN Secretary General's strategic review on peacekeeping, and the country's resolve to strengthen his hands by providing rapid support at all times since Bangladesh is regarded as a tested and confident peacekeeper country.
"I wish to conclude by conveying our full support to UN Secretary General's strategic review on peacekeeping, and our resolve to strengthen his hands by providing rapid support at all times. We value our partnership with the US and other cohosts to carry our pledges forward. My salute to peacekeepers all over the world," she said.
Hasina was addressing the high-level summit on UN Peacekeeping at the Conference Building of the UN Headquarters here in the morning.She said as a tested and a confident peacekeeper country, Bangladesh pledges to build partnerships with countries that need critical enablers, personnel, force and mission.
"We also remain ready for a triangular cooperation. Bangladesh will provide training and skills to emerging TCCs with support from partners. We further pledge to contribute well-trained and self-sustained infantry units and formed police units, including all-female police units at shortest possible time," the Prime Minister said adding that her government pledges to offer critical enablers, including air power, helicopters and aircrafts at the shortest notice.
"We pledge engineers, signals, medical teams, riverine and sea-based units on shortest notice. We're also keen on providing senior leadership both at the UN Headquarters and in field missions. We look forward to entering into logistics and services supply partnerships for field support to missions, including with the African Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership," she told the summit.
Mentioning that Bangladesh has a state-of-the-art Institute for Peace Support Operations and Training, BIPSOT, Hasina said her government has plans to turn BIPSOT into a global centre of excellence for training peacekeepers, especially women peacekeepers, from all countries.
"We pledge to share our expertise through customised training, joint exercises and necessary technical support to other TCCs and PCCs. We aim to make Protection of Civilians (POC), gender and human rights issues, an essential component of our regular peace support training.
We pledge to invest in further enhancing language skills of our peacekeepers," she added.
Hasina noted that Bangladesh has become a brand name in peace support operations for its utmost dedication and professionalism, for its high respect for religious, cultural and social values of the people we serve.
