India Co-Chairs High-Level UN Meeting to Advance Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers

by T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman July 16, 2025

By T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman July 16, 2025 0 comments 3 minutes read

PHOTO: PMI, New York

A high-level meeting of the Group of Friends (GoF) to Promote Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers, co-chaired by India and other member nations, was held on July 15, 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The meeting reaffirmed the GoF’s strong commitment to securing justice for those who serve under the UN flag and emphasized the urgent need to end impunity for attacks on peacekeepers. According to the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) to the United Nations in New York, accountability is “not merely a matter of justice for individuals but a basis for the effectiveness, credibility, and future of UN Peace Operations worldwide.”

**India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador P. Harish, speaking during the high-level event on July 15, 2025, at the United Nations in New York. PHOTO: PMI, New York**

In a powerful display of international consensus, representatives from approximately 40 Member States, senior UN officials, and field mission experts engaged in strategic discussions on enhancing legal and operational frameworks. Their goal: to strengthen global cooperation and ensure perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers are brought to justice.

The deliberations highlighted the growing dangers peacekeepers face in volatile conflict zones, and the clear correlation between continued impunity and repeated targeting of peacekeeping personnel.

India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador P. Harish, reaffirmed India’s unwavering commitment to this cause.

He noted, “United Nations peacekeepers face tremendous obstacles while working in increasingly dangerous areas. But for the most part, these crimes continue to go unpunished. This lack of accountability severely undermines international peace efforts by giving assailants more confidence.”

Ambassador Harish called accountability a “strategic necessity,” stating that holding perpetrators responsible is not only a legal obligation but essential to the credibility and effectiveness of UN peacekeeping. Justice, he noted, enhances the security of peacekeepers and empowers them to fulfill their critical duties.

“It is our common duty to fulfill this obligation,” he stressed.

The Group’s discussions focused on the need for a comprehensive approach – one that integrates punitive actions with preventative strategies and is supported by “unwavering political will from all stakeholders,” PMI noted.

Notably, the GoF for Accountability of Crimes Against Peacekeepers was launched in December 2022 during India’s Presidency of the UN Security Council. It builds on Security Council Resolution 2589 (2021), which calls for strengthened accountability for crimes against UN peacekeepers and mandates regular updates from the UN Secretary-General on progress made.

“The GoF is dedicated to advancing legal frameworks, promoting investigations, and supporting measures to ensure accountability for crimes committed against United Nations peacekeepers,” PMI added underscoring that the group’s overarching goal is to deter future attacks and deliver “justice to peacekeepers and their families.”

As a Co-Chair of the GoF, PMI emphasized that India continues to play a leading role in global peacekeeping and accountability efforts. With a legacy of over 70 years in UN peace operations, India remains the largest cumulative troop-contributing country, having deployed more than 300,000 peacekeepers to date.

Indian peacekeepers have consistently served with valor and professionalism in nearly every major UN mission. Tragically, 182 Indian peacekeepers have laid down their lives in the line of duty, the highest number of fatalities sustained by any country in UN peacekeeping history.