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UN cites broad pledges at Berlin peacekeeping ministerial; Germany funds gender-specific protective gear for women peacekeepers
Summary
The United Nations said ministers at a Berlin peacekeeping meeting made multiple capability and training pledges, and Germany funded a €1,000,000 program to supply gender-specific protective gear to selected troop-contributing countries.
The United Nations said at a press briefing that more than 30 member states attended a ministerial meeting on peacekeeping in Berlin and that 74 member states made pledges to support peace operations.
Farhan, the UN spokesperson, told reporters: “53 member states pledged uniformed capabilities, including 88 military and police units. 59 member states pledged specialized training on critical issues. 18 member states made pledges related to technological advances and data driven approaches. And 38 member states made pledges to further implement the women, peace, and security agenda.”
Why it matters: pledges of personnel, training and technology shape how quickly and effectively UN peace operations can respond to crises and meet Security Council mandates. The addition of women-targeted equipment is intended to support the deployment and safety of uniformed women personnel, a stated UN objective under the women, peace and security agenda.
At the ministerial gathering, the UN announced a Germany-funded multiyear initiative to provide women troops deployed in peace operations with gender-specific protective gear, including ballistic vests and helmets. The brief said the project is worth €1,000,000 in total and that recipients selected to receive the equipment are Fiji, Guatemala, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Tanzania.
The UN said the equipment was selected “in recognition of their commitment to the uniformed gender parity strategy and the deployment of women in operational roles.” The initiative aims to enhance the performance, safety and security of women peacekeepers in complex and volatile mission environments and to promote their participation in peacekeeping efforts.
The spokesperson said the pledges and the equipment program were announced during an awards ceremony attended by Nils Hilmer, state secretary of the German Ministry of Defense, and Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support.
The UN said a press release with fuller details of the pledges would be issued and shared when approved.
A note on sourcing: the numbers and project description were provided by the UN spokesperson during the briefing and attributed in the briefing to statements made at the Berlin ministerial.
