UN welcomes ASEAN peacekeeping force, promises help<\/p>\n
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The United Nations welcomed on Wednesday Indonesia's proposal to
\nbuild a regional peacekeeping force and promised to provide
\nassistance to make it a reality.<\/p>\n
The peacekeeping force is an integral part of the ASEAN
\nSecurity Community (ASC) concept, which is designed to resolve
\nregional conflicts and maintain security in the ASEAN
\n(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region.<\/p>\n
\"From the UN's point of view, we welcome the initiative (ASEAN
\npeacekeeping force) and we also welcome all such initiatives in
\nvarious regions in the world,\" Danilo Tuerk, Assistant Secretary
\nGeneral of the UN, told Indonesian journalists in Jakarta after
\nthe end of the 4th UN-ASEAN Conference on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"We see tendency of growth of support for peacekeeping and not
\nonly in ASEAN but also in Africa, Europe and Latin America, so
\nthere is a tendency to strengthen the multilateral capacity for
\npeacekeeping,\" Tuerk said.<\/p>\n
He said that the establishment of the peacekeeping force would
\ndepend on the region's requirements.<\/p>\n
\"We in the UN does not insist that all peacekeeping forces
\nmust be like the UN's peacekeeping force, and there can be other
\narrangements depending on the needs and very often the UN can
\nalso provide guidance without necessarily resorting to
\npeacekeeping activities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman and director-general for
\nASEAN cooperation Marty M. Natalegawa said that the UN had
\npromised to provide assistance to ASEAN to develop the ASC.<\/p>\n
\"During the conference (UN-ASEAN conference), the UN promised
\nit would provide assistance, including training and the lessons
\nlearned from the conflict prevention, conflict resolution and
\npost-conflict peace building to avoid mistakes in implementing
\nthe ASC,\" Marty said.<\/p>\n
The ASEAN peacekeeping force was first put forward by
\nIndonesia as a part of its ASEAN Security Community (ASC)
\nconcept, which was first proposed by Indonesia last October at
\nthe ninth ASEAN Summit in Bali.<\/p>\n
The ASC is one of the three pillars of the ASEAN Community,
\nalong with the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN
\nSociocultural Community.<\/p>\n
Indonesia presented the draft action plan on ASC to ASEAN
\nsenior officials during a meeting in Jakarta last Friday.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Julia Taft director of the UN Development Fund's
\nBureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery lauded the proposal for
\na regional peacekeeping force.<\/p>\n
\"It's an exciting possibility, we look forward to setting out
\nthe details,\" Taft told The Associated Press on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
She said that it was important for ASEAN member countries to
\nwork together to improve security in the region.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on
\nTuesday that a regional force was needed because \"most conflicts
\nin the world today are not between states but within states, and
\ninternal strife has a way of spilling over from the embattled
\ncountry to the rest of the region.<\/p>\n
However, the Bangkok Post reported on Monday that the regional
\npeacekeeping force proposal, according to Thailand Foreign
\nMinister Surakiart Sathirathai, was not necessary.<\/p>\n
Sathirathai said that no international conflicts were raging
\nin the region and if such problems arose and help from members of
\nASEAN was needed, individual members could send their troops in
\nto help.<\/p>\n
The others ASEAN members are yet to endorse the peacekeeping
\nproposal, which is expected to be discussed formally in June at
\nthe ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Jakarta.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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