Fifty-seven Member States of the United Nations have announced new pledges to address current and future challenges in line with ongoing reforms under Action for Peacekeeping and A4P+ key priorities to improve peacekeeping.
Also, 91 UN Member States and three international organisations expressed their collective commitment and political support to United Nations peacekeeping at the 75th UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference on Wednesday in Accra.
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, stated that the specific pledges generated by the historic event, would provide the cushion that UN peace operations require to execute complex mandates in complicated environments.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Mr Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said, “We are grateful to the Republic of Ghana for hosting this Ministerial and their ongoing contributions to UN Peacekeeping. As missions navigate unprecedented challenges, the political support and concrete pledges received today will help strengthen our effectiveness.”
He added that the ultimate goal of peacekeeping was to help parties end conflict by securing and implementing peace agreements and related political processes.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, Mr Atul Khare, stated, “I congratulate the Government of Ghana on the resounding success of the Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference. I am particularly grateful for wide-ranging pledges from those that strengthen partnerships to build the capacity of uniformed peacekeepers to others that improve our logistics and health support as well as reduce our environmental footprint in the field.
“It underscores the pivotal role that partnership plays in UN peacekeeping. We are fully committed to doing our utmost to support Member States in implementing their pledges to make peacekeeping more effective, efficient and impactful.”
On his part, Ghana’s Minister for Defense, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, noted that “The relationships formed and the commitments made during this Ministerial Meeting are not transient; they are seeds planted for a more peaceful and secure world, the harvest of which we will reap in the years ahead.”
Ghana passed the baton to Germany, who will host the next UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in 2025.