Jakarta (Antaranews Kalsel) - The United Nations (UN) has lauded Indonesia`s significant contribution in maintaining peace and international security, as noted in a written statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received here on Thursday.
"Indonesia will continue to increase its active role in the UN Peacekeeping Operation. Indonesia is also ready to contribute to the peacekeeping mission in Yaman as well as increase the number of female peacekeepers," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi noted at a meeting with UN Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
The meeting was held in the midst of the UN Security Council Open Debate in New York, on January 22, 2019.
UN Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations Lacroix lauded Indonesia`s active contribution, especially with the deployment of a battalion of 850 personnel recently to MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Indonesia`s contribution aims to support the UN`s initiative to tackle challenges faced in maintaining peace and security.
Speaking in connection with the issue, Foreign Minister Marsudi conveyed Indonesia`s commitment to deploying a police unit of 140 personnel to the Central African Republic. The UN was also encouraged to innovate further, such as by considering co-deployment and the use of defense system from contributor nations.
"Moving forward, Indonesia is keen that both policy and the working system of the UN be adjusted accordingly to push for more female peacekeepers in the UN Peacekeeping Operation," she remarked.
Minister Marsudi added that Indonesia is ready to send more than 25 female police officers to the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) across the world in addition to offering female peacekeeping operation trainings. The MPP is a UN-backed public health organization working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries.
On November 2018, Indonesia had ranked seventh out of the 124 countries that contributed to the UN peacekeeping operations, with 3,545 personnel deployed to the eight UN peacekeeping missions, 94 of them were women.
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
