PH reaffirms participation in UN peacekeeping

THE Philippines, through the Department of National Defense (DND), reaffirmed its readiness to participate more in international peacekeeping operations.

DND Undersecretary for Capability Assessment and Development Angelito de Leon, who led the Philippine delegation to the 2023 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting (UNPKMM) last week, committed one Quick Reaction Force Company and one Military Engineering Company to the UN Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System.

De Leon said the commitment of a quick reaction force company is in addition to the existing Force Headquarters Support Unit and Aeromedical Evacuation Module that the Philippines pledged to the UN to strengthen the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations.

He also reaffirmed the Philippines' commitment to continue providing trainers for the UN Mobile Training Teams and the UN Military Experts on Mission (UNMems).

The UNMems are composed mostly of female officers in various mission areas in recognition of the vital role of women in holistic approaches in peacekeeping environments.

For 60 years, the Philippines had been actively engaged in UN peacekeeping, deploying 15,000 Filipino soldiers to 21 peacekeeping operations and special political missions.

Undersecretary de Leon also said that the Philippines is building up a Formed Police Unit, in addition to the Individual Police Officers, for the UN Mission in South Sudan.

He also manifested the intent of the Philippine National Police to host the 2024 rollout of the UN Certified Instructors Development Course, catering to international participants from neighboring Police Contributing Countries.

The UNPKMM is a biennial high-level event that gathers foreign and defense ministers, as well as other senior leaders from UN member states, in a collective effort to strengthen the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and their impact on the communities they serve.

On the sidelines, Undersecretary de Leon also held bilateral meetings with Nigeria, Ghana, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Fiji, France, Latvia, Mongolia and New Zealand.

De Leon was accompanied by officials from the Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, the Office for UN and Other