Nigeria Elected 45th Time To Chair UN Peacekeeping Committee

Nigeria has been re-elected for the 45th time to chair the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, regarded as the body’s most strategic committee.

The west African country was re-elected in spite of some hesitations by some countries.

Nigeria has chaired the special committee on peacekeeping operations from 1972 till date.

Over the years, some Member States have covertly expressed their reservations over the rare honour accorded to Nigeria, especially in view of its declining participation in UN peacekeeping operations, NAN reports.

The election was conducted by the Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Herve Ladsous and the Chef de Cabinet of the UN Secretary-General, Ms Maria Viotti.

Others elected are: Argentina, First Vice Chair; Canada, Second Vice Chair; Japan, Third Vice Chair; Poland, Fourth Vice Chair; and Egypt, Rapporteur.

Nigeria is the 14th largest troops contributor to UN Peacekeeping operations and eighth in Africa, according to the last data published by the UN Peacekeeping Department.

The data showed that Nigeria contributed 2,170 peacekeeping personnel in 2016, made up of 403 policemen, 46 military experts and 1, 721 troops, out of which 232 were females.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, after the election, congratulated Nigeria on its re-election as well as other members of the committee.

He urged the committee to consider carefully the recommendation of the 2015 peace and security review echoed in Security Council resolution 2242, to surpass the current three per cent participation of women peacekeepers.