India continues to play a crucial role in global peacekeeping, both through its substantial troop contributions and its leadership in promoting accountability for crimes against peacekeepers, said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday (May 29, 2025) to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Lacroix praised India for its wide-ranging support to peacekeeping initiatives.

Reflecting on his visit to New Delhi earlier this year, Lacroix highlighted the significance of the first-ever Conference for Women Peacekeepers, held on February 24–25. “I really wanted to attend that conference because India is not only a key troop and police contributor but also a strong advocate for peacekeeping efforts,” he said. He particularly commended India's leadership in ensuring accountability for attacks against peacekeepers.

Organised by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK), the New Delhi conference was themed ‘Women in Peacekeeping: A Global South Perspective’. It brought together women peacekeepers from 35 Global South countries to address challenges in peacekeeping and the pivotal role women play in fostering peace and security.

Lacroix explained that promoting women in peacekeeping has two essential facets: increasing the number of female personnel for more effective missions and empowering women to participate in political processes and peacebuilding. “This is not about ideology—it’s a practical necessity,” he stressed, adding that full participation of women leads to better outcomes in peace operations.

He acknowledged progress in increasing the number of women peacekeepers but noted challenges remain, especially in deploying more senior female military officers. He expressed the UN’s desire to see more women appointed to high-ranking roles such as Force Commander and Deputy Force Commander.

Joining Lacroix at the briefing was Acting Military Advisor Major General Cheryl Pearce, a senior female officer whom he cited as an excellent example of leadership. Lacroix also pointed out ongoing resource constraints among member states, which hinder the deployment of formed military units, including those led by women.

India currently ranks as the fourth-largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping missions, with over 5,300 military and police personnel serving in areas such as Abyei, Lebanon, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Notably, India made history by deploying the first all-women Formed Police Unit to Liberia in 2007 and, in January 2023, sent an all-women platoon to the UN Mission in Abyei—the largest such deployment in recent years. In December 2022, while presiding over the UN Security Council, India established the ‘Group of Friends’ initiative to promote accountability for attacks on peacekeepers and also introduced a new database to track such crimes and efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.