The UN Assistant Secretary General for Mission Support in the Department of peacekeeping operations Ms Jane Holl Lute accompanied by the UN Messenger of Peace Mr. George Clooney called on the Defence Secretary Shri Vijay Singh, here today.
During the discussions, Ms Lute was highly appreciative of the role played by the Indian peacekeepers in various parts of the world. She urged New Delhi to take part in the Contingent Owned Equipment (COE) Manual Review Exercise to be held at New York from 04-22 next month. Shri Singh reiterated India’s commitment for UN Peacekeeping operations and assured Ms Lute that India will send a high-level delegation to take part in the review meetings both at technical and working levels.
Ms Lute was also given an overview of the experiences of the just – returned Indian contingent of peacekeepers, especially those relating to logistic and operational aspects. The Army Headquarters gave a presentation on the various ‘Commandments’ given to the Indian peacekeepers such as respect for cultural ethos of the country where they are deployed and zero-tolerance for human rights violations. Ms Lute had recently visited Congo, where she had seen the Indian peacekeepers in action.
The UN Assistant Secretary General yesterday visited the 50 Para Regiment at Agra and the South-Western Army Command Headquarters at Jaipur. She evinced keen interest in the training imparted to the Indian peacekeepers to orient them to handle challenges in alien territories.