The peacekeeping today is in the domain of a "vaguely defined no-man's land", India has said at the UN, underscoring that responding to new security challenges requires a willingness to adapt abilities to meet the emerging realities.
Speaking at the UN Security Council open debate on UN Peacekeeping Operations: Training and Capacity Building, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said Tuesday that training was not only a pre-requisite to fulfil mandates, but a must to ensure safety and security in difficult environments.
He said while operational concepts for such objectives are being put in place, it was also necessary to have properly equipped and well-trained personnel to meet expectations of deployment in challenging environments to fulfil a range of mandates.
"Peacekeeping today is in the domain of a vaguely defined no-man's land. It lies somewhere between trying to keep the peace in fragile environments and trying to enforce the maintenance of peace, where there is none to keep," he said.
"Responses to new security environments cannot be by merely ratcheting up traditional methodologies. They require a willingness to adapt abilities to meet emerging realities," as envisaged in the Secretary Generals Action for Peace Initiative, Akbaruddin said.
Rephrasing a well-known military adage to suit current peacekeeping environments, he said "the more peacekeepers sweat in times of peace, the less they bleed in situations of conflict".
India, one of the largest troop contributors to UN peacekeeping operations, said that to ensure performance in peacekeeping, the UN Secretariat needs to carry out realistic assessment of contingents being selected and deployed in the mission area.
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Troop competencies need to be a critical requirement of selection criteria, Akbaruddin said.
He said accountability of Troop Contributing Countries should entail adherence to training plans, including pre-deployment and in mission training, so that key mission tasks are not left to "learning on the job".
Akbaruddin also stressed that capacity building and training benchmarks relating to prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), gender sensitivity, requirements of conduct and discipline, environmental standards were key ingredients.
Last year, India commenced funding of the UN's 'Pipeline to Peacekeeping Command Programme' focussing on conduct and discipline.
Over a period of three years, this programme will help develop the capacity of future commanders and managers to lead by example and raise awareness of UN standards of conduct among personnel, Akbaruddin said.
He said India also welcomes the initiative of Mobile Training Teams (MTTs) and Training of Trainers (TOTs) by pooling instructors from member states as they are an innovative effort to impart training to new Troop Contributing Countries and sharing experiences with minimum financial implications.
Addressing the open debate, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that "notable progress" had been made in training 'blue helmets' and others who serve in some of the most dangerous places on earth, but "much still needs to be done".
He said better training for peacekeepers being deployed to increasingly hostile environments was a "necessary and strategic" investment which can also save lives.
Guterres said that beyond preparation, training improves performance.
"As we know, improved performance, reduces fatalities. As such training is a necessary and strategic investment in peacekeeping - and is a shared responsibility between Member States and the Secretariat," he said.
Guterres said more mobile teams were needed from member states, and to encourage more women leaders, a "talent pipeline specifically for senior women military officers is under development".
He said continued support through government funding was "essential", noting the "encouraging" downward trend in allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping missions.
India employs its UN peacekeeping experience to partner with other member states in capacity building initiatives in a very tangible manner, Akbaruddin said, citing the example of the recent successful co-deployment initiative with Kazakhstan in United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
India's Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK) conducts mission specific pre-deployment training to ensure the highest standards of performance for the troops being deployed, he said.
It also conducts international courses based on UN guidelines, with the focus on building capacity for Military Observers, Contingent Officers, Staff & Logistics Officers and Female Officers.
India has also recently concluded a field training exercise on UN peacekeeping with 18 African countries, with plans to do more.
The UN chief also noted that "training gaps remain in critical areas such as weapons handling, first aid, human rights and protection issues".
Akbaruddin urged member states to consider "increased funding, in-kind contributions of equipment" and proving more trainers.