The upcoming visit of Jean Pierre Lacroix to Dhaka

Bangladesh will host another high-level UN official, Mr Jean Pierre Lacroix, Under Secretary General Department of Peace Operations (USG DPO), to Dhaka from 25-26 June 2023. The visit is primarily a part of joining the preparatory discussion of the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting (UNPKM) to be held in Accra, Ghana, on 5-6 December 2023. 

Jean Pierre Lacroix's visit to Bangladesh is a regular and prescheduled one. The United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting is an important opportunity for Member States to unite to strengthen the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and their impact on the communities they serve. 

With missions facing greater challenges than ever, the Ministerial will focus on protecting civilians, strategic communications (including addressing mis-disinformation and hate speech), safety and security, and the mental health of peacekeepers and women in peacekeeping. Bangladesh, Canada, and Uruguay are the co-hosts of the Preparatory Conference on Women in Peacekeeping Operations in Dhaka. It is a great success for Bangladesh and an honour to co-host the event. 

Bangladeshi peacekeepers maintain the highest level of discipline and a strict code of conduct. Since joining the UN in 1988, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have exhibited the greatest professionalism, dedication, and bravery. Their distinctive contributions have improved the nation's standing abroad and allowed our peacekeepers to occupy honourable positions in peacekeeping operations. 

Out of 118 nations, Bangladesh has ranked first in contributing troops to UN peacekeeping missions. In 56 UN peacekeeping missions, 1,81,661 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have so far performed their duties. 

In the UN peacekeeping deployments, Bangladeshi peacekeepers play a significant role. They interact with the locals to ensure the highest level of service for the people who are in need. Sierra Leone made Bengali the second official language of their nation because they recognized the importance of Bangladeshi troops. The main thoroughfare in Liberia's capital is named after Bangladesh. A few African nations have also established schools using the name Bangladesh, such as the Sierra Leone-Bangladesh Friendship School.

To trace the root of Bangladesh's commitment to global peace through the UN peace operations, it may be recalled that in his speech to the UN General Assembly in 1974, Bangabandhu reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to maintaining world peace. Bangladesh has validated Bangabandhu's statement of upholding world peace by sending its peacekeepers to UN missions for over three decades. 

The role Bangladesh played in UN peacekeeping is one of honour and accomplishment. Nearly all the world's difficult regions can now be found where Bangladeshi peacekeepers have left their footprints. As one of the biggest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, Bangladesh represents one of the untold stories of success that must be depicted to the world. 

Bangladeshi peacekeepers have also sacrificed greatly in performing their duties on the ground. In the last three decades, in the service of global peace, 130 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have lost their lives, and 200 were severely injured. Recently, three Bangladeshi United Nations (UN) peacekeepers were killed, and one was severely hurt on October 4 2022, after an IED exploded outside of their vehicle in the Central African Republic. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his profound grief at the loss of three troops from Bangladesh. Before it, three Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers were killed, and four others were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Mali on October 2017.

Currently, 7144 Bangladeshi soldiers are serving in nine various missions. Additionally, there are 542 women peacekeepers actively serving in peacekeeping assignments. The female Formed Police Unit of the Bangladesh Police is now on assignment. 

At present, Bangladesh has 16 missions deployed in various parts of the world: Western Sahara, Central African Republic, Mali, Haiti, Congo, Darfur, Golan Height, Cyprus, Lebanon, Abbey in Africa, Kosovo, Liberia, South Sudan, India, Pakistan, Ivory Coast, and the Middle East. The reputation of Bangladeshi troops has grown over time. 

Now the key question is, what are the implications of the visit for Bangladesh? Undoubtedly, the visit of the UN Under Secretary General, Lacroix, is highly significant for Bangladesh. As mentioned above, the visit is prescheduled and is a part of the conduct of UN peace operations. While the visit recognizes the critical importance of Bangladesh in the UN peace operations and the role of Bangladesh in the high-level policy-making process, some critics tend to argue that the visit will lead to lower participation of Bangladesh in the UN peace operations. 

Certain political quarters and their global patrons have been using every occasion of Bangladesh's achievements and success to tarnish the country's image for narrow political gains at the cost of people's welfare and national interests. 

The visit to Lacroix has positive outcomes for Bangladesh on several grounds. First, Lacroix's visit reflects the global leadership of Bangladesh in the UN Peace Operations. Bangladesh has not only provided the largest contingent of peacekeepers in the current peacekeeping missions of the UN in different parts of the world but also plays a leadership role in the policy-making process of UN peace operations. The former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, described Bangladesh as "a model member of the United Nations, giving leadership among the least developed countries and consider contributing to peacekeeping and humanitarian operations."

Second, the visit provides evidence of Bangladesh and the UN's close working partnership, particularly in peacekeeping. Bangladesh is an indispensable member of the UN peace operations that the country has earned over the past three decades and more. With more than 181,000 Bangladesh peacekeepers serving in the missions and the supreme sacrifices of 130 Bangladeshi peacekeepers, Bangladesh has proved its worth as the leading peacekeeping country in the world. Bangladesh serves in mid and top-level leadership positions in the field missions and headquarters of the UN peace operations with unparalleled reputation, diligence, and dedication. 

Third, the visit will usher in new prospects of having a pledge for more UN peacekeepers from Bangladesh. The UN peacekeeping chief is anticipated to promise to raise the number of Bangladeshi peacekeepers, demonstrating the respect and faith that the international community has in their abilities.  

Fourth, the UN is desperately looking for more deployments from Bangladesh when some member states are pulling out their peacekeepers from the field missions due to growing risks and threats in the host nations. Mr Lacroix will certainly try to get more commitment from a leading peacekeeping nation on earth, Bangladesh, for the UN Peacekeeping Missions in the future. 

Fifth, in Bangladesh, peacekeepers are selected through a rigorous process to maintain the UN standards. The selection process considers peacekeepers' personal and professional records in terms of commitment, dedication, awareness of human rights, efficiency, and courage. Bangladesh has developed world-class facilities for training selected and prospective peacekeepers from Bangladesh and beyond. 

Sixth, the UN leadership is aware of the popularity of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the mission areas. Local communities in the host countries are ultimate evaluators of the performance and behaviours of peacekeepers. The local people find Bangladeshi peacekeepers extraordinarily courageous, self-sacrificing, friendly, and respectful of human rights. 

Finally, the visit of Lacroix demonstrates confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been exceptionally proactive about the deployment of peacekeepers. Bangladesh's Prime Minister has undertaken bold decisions on several occasions to request the top leadership of the UN peace operation for speedy deployment in the difficult terrain. Mali is a glaring example. 

There is no way to misread or mislead the visit of Lacroix to Dhaka. It is part of continuing diplomatic success of Bangladesh. It demonstrates Bangladesh's leadership in UN peacekeeping diplomacy. Bangladesh has always complied with requests from the UN to support UN missions. Even under the most adverse circumstances, like in Cambodia, Mali, or DRC, Bangladesh held firm against the most severe physical assault of recalcitrant elements in the host nations. 

Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf lauded Bangladeshi peacekeepers, saying: "The Bangladeshi contingent has gone beyond its protection mandate and helped build up the manpower capacity of the country." 

A nation of peacekeepers must work hard and make great sacrifices to earn its glory. Bangladeshi peacekeepers are renowned for their friendliness, natural hospitality, humanistic attitude, professionalism, and dedication. We should be incredibly proud of our brave peacekeepers and the upcoming visit of the UN Under-Secretary-General Department of Peace Operations; Lacroix is its vindication.

Professor Dr Delwar Hossain, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, is a Honorary Chair at the KRF Center for Bangladesh and Global Affairs