A few hours after chairing the UN Security Council Open Debate on Technology and Peacekeeping, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar Wednesday said that he was proud to partner with the world body on a situational awareness platform-UNITE AWARE.
Earlier today, India in collaboration with the UN launched UNITE AWARE - a technology platform for peacekeeping missions for providing terrain-related information to peacekeepers.
"As a country with a tradition of Peacekeeping and at forefront of Technology, proud to partner UN on a situational awareness platform-UNITE AWARE. Gratified by the overwhelming support for this initiative," EAM tweeted.
Proposing a four-point framework to lay architecture for securing UN peacekeepers against contemporary threats, Jaishankar said that 21st-century peacekeeping must be anchored in a strong ecosystem of technology and innovation.
Addressing the UNSC members, Jaishankar said UN peacekeeping simply cannot afford to cede the information advantage to those actors determined to undermine prospects for peace by using modern technology to aid their violent cause.
He said India believes in "walking the talk" when it comes to the safety and security of UN peacekeepers.
"We have shown today, both in the rollout out of the UNITE Aware Platform, as well as the actionable elements of training incorporated in the MoU, that India believes in walking the talk when it comes to the safety and security of UN peacekeepers. We hope that in our discussions today, we get an equally strong reaffirmation of the UN's intent as well," he said.
The minister also announced that India is supporting the UN in the rollout of the UNITE Aware Platform across select peacekeeping missions.
"This initiative is based on the expectation that an entire peacekeeping operation can be visualized, coordinated, and monitored on a real-time basis. We should ensure that any attack on a peacekeeper or a civilian is predictable, preventable, or responded to immediately."
( With inputs from ANI )
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