There can be no substitute for national efforts in creating environment where civilians are secure: India at UN

India has always stressed that there can be no replacement for national efforts in creating an environment where civilians are secure, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Tapan Kumar Deka said at the UN Chief of Police Summit (UNCOPS). He called it important that conducive conditions are created for local political and social processes to take hold.

In his remarks at the plenary session 3 ‘STRENGTHENING PEACE OPERATIONS & PEACE ENFORCEMENT’ of the UN Chief of Police Summit (UNCOPS) on June 27, he noted that the changing nature of armed conflict, with a rise in intra-state conflicts involving non-state Armed Groups, has increasingly exposed peacekeeping operations to regional and global dynamics that undermine their efforts to implement their mandate.

Stressing that the maintenance of international peace and security has become more complex, IB Director stated, “The changing nature of armed conflict, with a surge in intra-state conflicts involving non-state Armed Groups, has increasingly exposed peacekeeping operations to regional and global dynamics that undermine their efforts to implement their mandate. The maintenance of international peace and security has become more complex and calls for strengthening our peace operations in a manner that they are rooted in clear mandates, backed by adequate resources and incorporating clear exit strategies.”

He further said, “Our recent experiences have been indicating the fallacy of solutions being imposed from outside. India has always stressed that there can be no substitute for national efforts in creating an environment where civilians are secure. It is thereby important that conducive conditions are created for local political and social processes to take hold. The eroding support of host nations to the presence of peacekeepers is a reflection of the failure to address the root causes of conflict.”

He also mentioned about Indian police’s contribution to UN Peacekeeping. Tapan Kumar Deka said that India during its deployment in conflict-hit situations has experienced that there are divergences in the interpretation of mandates between various stakeholders.

Speaking about the Indian police’s contribution to UN Peacekeeping, he said, “Apart from being one of the largest Troop Contributing Countries, Indian Police Contribution to UN Peacekeeping is also a priority area with Formed Police Unit of 139 personnel deployed in MONUSCO, DRC, which included 11 women. We also have 11 Individual Police Officers deployed in UNMISS, South Sudan & 01 deployed in UNISFA, Abyei (Sudan).”

He further said, “Our experience, however, has revealed recently further learnings that can be employed in our operations. We have experienced, in the context of our deployment in a conflict-ridden situation, that there are divergences in interpretation of mandates between various stakeholders, which results in inadequacy of mandate delivery as well as a threat to the safety of our peacekeepers.”

Tapan Kumar Deka called it “extremely important” that there is continuous and effective coordination between the UN leadership, host nation and Troop/Police Contributing countries.

He said, “This is necessary right from conception when Mission mandates are drawn, to the execution process, till the time of exit of Missions. Strengthened peace operations call for strengthened coordination.”

IB Director stated that the misuse of the access to digital and social media which is used to spread misinformation and disinformation is further complicating the conflict scenarios and called for strategic communication to be strengthened as also creating local awareness on the mandate of the peacekeeping Missions so that there are no misplaced expectations on part of local Government and society.

He further said, “At the same time, we must accept that host Nations would need our support in their endeavour of finding lasting solutions, and towards this end we must promote multilateral solutions, including regional partnerships, that can overcome the limitations of the Security Council’s outdated membership.”

He called for the expansion of UNSC membership as it is the institutional architecture primarily responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security.

In his speech, Tapan Kumar Deka said, “The Security Council being the institutional architecture primarily responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, it is important that the Security Council is a reformed body with expansion of membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories.”

“Given that more than half of the Security Council’s work is focused on Africa, India has been consistently calling for greater representation of Africa in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration,” he added.

In a post on X, the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York stated, “The Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Mr. Tapan Kumar Deka, conveyed India’s position on UN Policing during the 4th #UNCOPS2024 on 27th June.”

Emphasising the need to strengthen existing mechanism, Deka said, “We have also been witnessing conversations on peace enforcement in context of peace operations. While we need to strengthen existing mechanisms, we call for caution on any activity that is rooted in authorization from a Security Council that is not representative of current realities.”

“While creating the right political conditions and supporting development is conducive to create conditions where conflict doesn’t take root, we have to be wary of infringing upon sovereignty of host nations and their various political stakeholders, especially given the current mistrust the world has in our multilateral systems,” he added.