ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has called for enhancing the capabilities of the United Nations (UN) peacekeepers deployed around the world to enable them to counter the threat posed by improvised explosive devices (IED).
“An effective counter-IED strategy depends on taking a holistic view of the safety and security of UN peacekeepers,” Mohammad Aamir Khan, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, said at the UN Security Council Arria-Formula meeting.
Aamir Khan said, “The disruptive potential of IEDs is huge. They restrict force mobility, spread fear across communities, and undermine the efforts of the host government to restore state authority.”
The Pakistani delegate further said that a counter-IED strategy also involved modernizing equipment, capacity- building and adequate medical support. “The UN Secretariat must involve the Troop-and Police-Contributing Countries,” he added.
“Enhancing consultations with host countries and respecting their ownership should be part of a comprehensive approach to counter the IEDs threat,” Aamir Khan added.
He also underlined the importance of building partnerships, including with regional organizations, to address the training and capacity-building needs of host countries and troop-contributing countries.
