Nepal ready to manage 10,000 militaries for int'l peace keeping: DPM Khadka

Nepal ready to manage 10,000 militaries for int'l peace keeping: DPM Khadka

Kathmandu, Dec 6: Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka has said Nepal is committed to ready as many as 10,000 military persons at the request of UN for peace keeping operations around the world.

Nepal has fulfilled most of the commitments relating to international peace keeping and is working for meeting the remaining ones, DPM Khadka said while addressing a UN ministerial level conference on international peace keeping in Ghana.

He extended thanks to the Ghana government for hosting the summit and reminded that Nepal has been supporting the 'Action for Peace' and 'Action for Peace Plus' programmes launched by the UN Secretary General. Khadka also viewed these programmes were committed for security of military persons and civilians.

"Nepal has kept its army standby for any adversity. We're sure that they meet the norms and disciplines of the peace keeping armies. We've adopted zero tolerance against sex abuse and exploitation," DPM Khadka shared in the mega meeting.

According to him, Nepal believes in improved coordination mechanism among major stakeholders, including TPCC so that peace keeping would be made more effective. He also urged all concerned to be united for achieving target through partnership.

Moreover, the DPM shared that Nepal had increased meaningful participation of women in military role to achieve the goal of gender equality strategy forwarded by UN Secretary General.

"We are committed to use and promote renewal energy to reduce environmental footprint in the peace keeping mission. We use renewal energy in the partnership of UNMISS and training centre," he mentioned.

Nepal has been contributing to the UN peace keeping mission relentlessly since 1958. Nepal is second largest country in the number of security persons mobilized in peace keeping missions across the globe.

The summit began on Tuesday under the theme of 'peace begins with me' had the participation of representatives from some 90 countries.