- UN Secretary General has said that United Nations(UN) owes India $38 million for peacekeeping operations as of March 2019.It is the highest UN has to pay to any country for the peacekeeping operations.
- The UN chief has also said that the troop and police-contributing countries will or will not be paid depends on the financial position of the individual missions to which they contribute.It is not determined by their individual capacity to shoulder that unfair burden.
- The United Nations Security Council has the power and responsibility to take collective action to maintain international peace and security.It thus authorizes peacekeeping operations to help countries that are conflict ridden and to create the conditions for lasting peace.
- United Nations Peacekeeping was created in 1948.It maintains three basic principles which are (a)Consent of the parties (b)impartiality and non-use of Force except in self-defence and (c)defence of the mandate.
- The UN Peacekeepers are led by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DKPO).UN Peacekeepers are from diverse backgrounds,from areas all around the world.Further,UN peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets.
- Peacekeeping forces are contributed by UN member states on a voluntary basis.India,Pakistan and Bangladesh are among the largest individual contributors.African nations also contributes nearly half the peacekeeping forces.
