Visiting UN Under-Secretary-General (SG) for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Sunday lauded Bangladesh’s steadfast engagement in global peacekeeping.
“This is an opportunity to thank Bangladesh for its extremely strong support in peacekeeping and steadfast engagement in favour of peace around the world,” he told journalists after holding a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at state guesthouse Padma in the capital.
He said the UN is extremely grateful and respectful for the services the peacekeeper of Bangladesh is providing worldwide. The UN Under-Secretary-General arrived in city on Sunday on a three-day visit as part of his four Asian countries tour, reports BSS.
During his visit, he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali, chiefs of the three services and Inspector General of Bangladesh Police.
The purpose of Lacroix’s visit is to monitor the preparations, training and overall activities of peacekeepers, official sources said.
After Bangladesh, he will also visit Nepal, India and Pakistan till July 3. Together, troops and police from these four countries make up close to one-third of some 91,000 uniformed personnel across 14 UN peacekeeping operations.
The purpose of Lacroix’s visit is to thank the four countries for their service and sacrifice in the name of peace, as well as to update on ongoing reforms in the UN peace and security reform area, and specifically the UN Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative to make peacekeeping more focused, safer and stronger, according to an UN press release issued from New York.