Lodhi was referring to the fact that in less than 18 months, Pakistan has gone from zero participation of female military staff officers in peacekeeping operations to the UN prescribed benchmark of 15 per cent, the statement added. Ambassador Lodhi said that as a leading troop contributor as well as a host state, Pakistan would continue to support efforts to strengthen peacekeeping. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, also known as C-34, is an annual forum where key stakeholders deliberate on issues of peacekeeping, and evolve policies to address emerging challenges. Ambassador Lodhi also touched upon the issue of financing peacekeeping operations and criticized calls for cutting costs. UN credibility depends on success of peacekeeping operations: MaleehaStressing the need to preserve the fundamentals of peacekeeping, Ambassador Lodhi said that the legitimacy and credibility enjoyed by UN peacekeeping operations was based on the commitment to uphold these principles.

Source: The Express Tribune February 12, 2019 06:22 UTC