Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Ishwor Pokharel held a meeting with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Friday morning.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the issues related to the UN peacekeeping, including its critical role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts in the areas of its deployment.
While congratulating the UN for a successful convening of the Peacekeeping Ministerial, DPM Pokharel expressed his hope that a renewed collective commitment of the UN member states would help peacekeeping missions deliver effectively on their mandates. He also raised Nepal’s concerns on ensuring safety and security of peacekeepers for enhancing their morale as well as performance, according a press release issued by Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations.
Under-Secretary-General Lacroix thanked Nepal for contributing its peacekeepers, without caveats, for more than six decades. While noting Nepal’s inclusive policy for encouraging female recruitment in Nepali security forces, Lacroix congratulated Nepal for meeting the UN target of female representation in staff officers, military observers and individual police officers.
Both sides concurred that the participation from the troops and police-contributing countries at the senior positions, both at the UN headquarters and fields, would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the UN peace operations in maintaining international peace and security.
During the meeting, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN Amrit Bahadur Rai, and other Nepali officials accompanied DPM while UN Under-Secretary-General Lacroix was accompanied by UN Military Adviser Lieutenant General Carlos Humberto Loitey and other high officials of the UN.
Later in the evening, DPM Pokharel attended an interaction program with the Nepali business community organized by the Consulate General of Nepal in New York. Pokhrel is scheduled to attend an interaction program to be organized by the Nepali community residing in New York on March 31.
