India has sacrificed the most for UN's peacekeeping missions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday while highlighting that the country's contribution has been immense.
"India's contribution towards the UN peacekeeping missions has been immense. No other country in the world has sacrificed as much as India has for these peacekeeping missions," the Prime Minister said in his address to the 74th session of the UN General Assembly here.
More than 200,000 Indians have served in nearly 50 of the 71 UN peacekeeping missions established around the world since 1948.
In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an all-women contingent to a UN peacekeeping mission. The Formed Police Unit in Liberia provided 24-hour guard duty and conducted night patrols in the capital Monrovia and helped to build the capacity of the Liberian police.
Indian peacekeepers have served in some of the most physically demanding and harshest environments, including South Sudan. They have also brought the ancient Indian practice of yoga to UN missions.
Currently, there are more than 6,700 troops and police from India who have been deployed to UN peacekeeping missions, the fourth-highest amongst troop-contributing countries.
More From This Section
More than 160 Indian peacekeepers have lost their lives in the line of duty under the UN flag.
Modi also called on the need to give a new direction to reform the UN system and said that multilateralism needs to be strengthened.
India has time and again called for a reform and reinvigoration of the UN Security Council, and has stressed on the role of strengthening multilateralism -- an organising principle for international cooperation.