Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh has reaffirmed its strong dedication to supporting the UN Police in its peacekeeping efforts.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, delivering the opening address at a high-level session of the Fourth UN Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS 2024), emphasised Bangladesh’s commitment and readiness to contribute meaningfully.
The Summit, held at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, focused on “Novel Approaches to Peace Operations and Potential Domains of Conflict.”
Highlighting the evolving nature of peacekeeping missions, the minister stressed the importance of deploying specialised police units with skills tailored to the specific context of each mission.
Minister Khan outlined several key areas for strengthening UN Police operations as he advocated for providing early and sustained support to the host countries’ rule of law and security institutions, bolstering their capacity from the outset of peacekeeping missions.
The Home Minister further stated the need for well-defined transition and exit plans to ensure the long-term sustainability of peacebuilding efforts.
The minister further articulated Bangladesh’s willingness to contribute more female peacekeepers, promoting gender-responsive policing practices within the host nations.
Referring to Bangladesh’s contribution to strengthening the UN’s efforts in countering misinformation and disinformation against peacekeepers has been notable. The Home Minister of Bangladesh underscored the importance of utilising artificial intelligence in UN peacekeeping operations while emphasising the need for the responsible use of such technologies.
On the sidelines of the Fourth UN Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS 2024), held at the UN Headquarters in New York on June 26–27, 2024, the Home Minister held bilateral meetings with the Interior Minister of Gambia, Abdoulie Sanyang, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and the UN Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, Atul Khare.
During the meetings with the two Under-Secretary-Generals, the Home Minister highlighted Bangladesh’s preparedness to adapt to the changing realities on the ground and to address emerging new threats facing peace operations.
Discussions also focused on increasing Bangladesh’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions. Both Under-Secretary-Generals commended Bangladesh’s significant contributions to UN peacekeeping and expressed the need for further support. They explored potential areas to enhance Bangladesh-UN partnerships.
In the meeting with the Gambian Interior Minister, the Home Minister, Asaduzzaman Khan, was thanked for Bangladesh’s support of Gambia’s participation in UN peacekeeping. They also discussed further cooperation on the Rohingya issue and UN peacekeeping.
The Bangladesh delegation to UNCOPS 2024 is led by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, MP. Other members include the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, Muhammad A. Muhith, the Additional Inspector General of Bangladesh Police, Kamrul Ahsan, and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Bangladesh Police.