Peacekeepers fetch $150m a year on an average

Bangladesh has maintained an average foreign-currency income of $150 million annually from the United Nations peacekeeping operations over the last one decade, though experts saw a scope of raising the income substantially.
They said the earnings from the PKO (peacekeeping operation) could be increased many times, if a proper strategy could be set for timely negotiation with the UN and the supply of high-end tools and apparatuses needed for different missions could be ensured.
According to statistics, Bangladesh earned the highest amount of $275 million in wages of peacekeepers and reimbursements for the contingent-owned equipment (COE) in 2012.
Thereafter, the earning had been on a slippery slope-dropping to $ 206 million last year.
A perceived lack of efforts to increase the number of peacekeepers and send equipment to different missions was seen as a reason for the slide.
The government earned $ 96 million from the COE in 2013. The amount in the previous year was a bit higher at $ 98.86 million.
Sources said during the last one decade, almost half the foreign-currency earnings had come from the reimbursements.
During the decade, starting from 2002, the steepest fall in earnings from the PKO was recorded in 2004 at $92 million, when the reimbursement from the COE was also at the lowest ebb-45 million US dollars.
"We have to take everything from tent, stitching materials to arms and ammunition and aircraft and vehicles to run an army operation. The cost (of the logistics) is reimbursed by the UN," said an official at the Overseas Operation Directorate (OOD) of the Bangladesh Army.
He said the volume of the COE increased in proportion to the size of troops.
However, observers said earnings from the COE could be increased, if supply of equipment like armoured personnel carrier (APC), CI 30 aircraft, level-three hospitals etc. was ensured.
They said the UN gives a premium rate for these kinds of equipment even for the mission where Bangladeshi peacekeepers are less in number but the COE is needed.
Peacekeeping sources said for peacekeepers there was a less scope to bargain on the matter as they work at the UN missions for image building and diplomatic relation building.
But, sources said, representation of civilians at the UN level could influence the decision-making body to ensure better advantages for peacekeepers.
Director-General at the UN desk of the foreign ministry Saida Mona Tasneem said though the PKO ensured high-profile leadership of the country in the United Nations, Bangladesh still had a scope to increase the foreign-currency earning from the mission activities.
She pointed out that a big gap remained between the cost of training up of a trooper and the wage earning, which could be lessened through negotiations.
It is learnt that the country spends around $3,000 while it gets $1,028 for each trooper. The wages of the peacekeepers were hiked after long 15 years and still it could not bridge the gap.
"Bangladesh in fact gives subsidy to the UN as it spends three times the earnings from the UN for training a peacekeeper," the DG told the FE, adding that compensation or depreciation cost was not included in the reimbursement for COE.
During the latest negotiation in 2014, wages of peacekeepers were raised to $1,322.
At present, Bangladesh is the top contributor to the PKO. It contributes the highest 8,841 peacekeepers in 14 missions in the troubled corners of the world. India and Pakistan trail Bangladesh with 8,132 and 8,023 troops.
In the recent round of negotiations, the death and disability compensation has been increased to $70,000 from $50,000.