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Country Wants Representation in UN Peacekeeping Unit

Leadership
14 March 2008

Nigeria has called for a review of the "lopsided" staff structure of the UN Department of Peace keeping Operations (DPKO) to include major troops contributing nations. It said that the review became necessary to recruit competent hands from UN Troops Contributing Countries (TCCs), which include Nigeria.

Felix Aniokoye, Nigeria's Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN made the call on Wednesday at the 2008 session of the UN Special Committee on Peace keeping Operations in New York. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the UN, reports that Aniokoye was also elected to chairman of the session, which runs from March 10 to April 4. He also said that Nigeria's concern was to address the "under-representation of TCCs in the senior management cadre in the DPKO."

"Nigeria is calling for the appointment of competent hands from the TCCs to top positions in the department to reflect our contributions and commitment to peace keeping," he said. Aniokoye, who expressed the country's commitment, role and contributions to UN peace keeping said Nigeria had participated in more than 30 peace keeping operations since 1962.

"Presently, Nigerian troops, police and civilian contingent are deployed in 14 out of 30 UN peace keeping operations in Africa, the Caribbean, Asia and Europe," the envoy said. He also called on the UN to ensure the safety and security of peace keepers "to reduce to the barest minimum the risks and fatalities confronting them".

Jean-Marie Guehenno, UN Under Secretary-General for Peace keeping Operations, who spoke earlier said adequate support was lacking from member states toward UN peace keeping operations. (NAN)

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