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Enhanced regional cooperation benefits UN peacekeeping, New Delhi seminar told

Enhanced regional cooperation benefits UN peacekeeping, New Delhi seminar told

The past year witnessed an enhanced level of frank dialogue between the United Nations and various Member States and groups of countries on a broad range of peacekeeping issues, the top UN military official said today.

Speaking in New Delhi at the ASEAN Regional Forum Seminar on UN Peacekeeping, UN Military Adviser Maj. Gen. Timothy Ford drew attention to the cooperation in the field that was taking place between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, highlighting in particular the very successful achievements in East Timor and Bougainville.

Another area where regional cooperation was active is that of training, Gen. Ford said in his keynote address which focused on new partnerships between the various actors now present in multidimensional peacekeeping. A series of Standardized Generic Training Modules, developed and promulgated by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) will result in four regional seminars this year, including one in Australia in August, he said.

Noting that DPKO has made significant structural changes and refocused its capability to support UN objectives, Gen. Ford emphasized that it was now in a much better position to support the providers of that capability – the Member States.

The two-day seminar, entitled “UN Peacekeeping: Best Practices and Lessons Learnt,” is hosted by India and co-hosted by Malaysia and Canada.