Speakers at a preparatory meeting on Monday stressed on undertaking "concrete and effective commitments and initiatives" to take forward the peacekeeping agenda, focusing on creating an enabling environment for women in peacekeeping.

They also highlighted the significance of fostering strong partnership among all relevant stakeholders to ensure increased and meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping.

The closing ceremony of the “Preparatory Meeting of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2023” was held in Dhaka.

Also read: UN USG Lacroix commends Bangladesh’s proactive role to increase number of women peacekeepers

Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh; Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to UN in New York; UN Under Secretary General for Peace Operations; UN Under Secretary General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance; Additional Inspector General of Bangladesh Police; United Nations Police Adviser; Director General, Peace and Stabilization Operations of Global Affairs Canada; Director General for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay made their remarks at the closing ceremony.

The two-day preparatory meeting focused on various issues under the theme “Women in Peacekeeping”, covering the areas such as, addressing the challenges that the member states face to ensure gender equality in peacekeeping missions, importance of formulating gender-integrated policies, ensuring gender-responsive leadership, recognising the sacrifices of women peacekeepers, importance of accountability, utilizing the Elsie Initiative Fund etc.

This preparatory meeting is the first among a series of four preparatory meetings planned under different themes, ahead of the Ministerial Meeting to be held in Ghana in December 2023.

Also read: Those trying to undermine peacekeepers’ achievements are Bangladesh’s enemies: Shahriar

Holding this meeting in Dhaka manifests UN’s recognition and appreciation of Bangladesh’s role as top troop and police contributing country in the Peacekeeping Missions, and as a global champion of international peace and security.

UN Under Secretary General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, thanked Bangladesh, Canada and Uruguay for a "successful and enriching" event.

He said they had constructive discussions on how they can work together to provide the right conditions for more women to join and thrive in their operations.

Bangladesh, Canada and Uruguay organised the event ahead of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial to be held in Ghana on December 5 and 6, 2023.

Also read: UN officials praise Bangladeshi peacekeepers during meeting with PM Hasina

“We must create safe enabling and responsive work environments,” Lacroix said, adding that leaders should play a very important role in shaping organizational culture and building a cohort of gender responsive leaders.

Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Muhammad A Muhith, said there were also crimes committed against the peacekeepers, and accountability should be ensured.

UN Under Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, Catherine Pollard also spoke at the event.

Also read: Discrimination, sexual abuse have no place in Peacekeeping Missions, Dhaka says