16.05.2023.
Minister Vučević meets with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Lacroix and Special Representative of UN Secretary-General Ziadeh
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević met today with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Caroline Ziadeh.
Saying that he was pleased with today’s meeting, Minister Vučević said that Serbia devoted special attention to cooperation with the UN, particularly in the domain of multinational operations, making a major contribution to the maintenance of international peace by deploying members of the Serbian Armed Forces on multinational operations.The Minister of Defence highlighted the contribution of the Serbian contingent serving with the Level 2+ Military Hospital in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), pointing out certain problems facing our personnel on the said mission, but also our efforts to fulfil the requirements of the mission.
According to Minister Vučević, the Ministry of Defence has accepted the gender equality concept and, in accordance with the United Nations strategic documents on gender equality, is striving to increase the number of women serving as military observers, staff officers and members of the contingent.
Minister Vučević said that Serbia was preparing proposals for new forms of contribution to be presented at the upcoming UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Ghana, December 5-6, 2023, particularly relating to the organization of peacekeeping training at the Peacekeeping Operations Centre, Operations Department, Serbian Armed Forces General Staff.UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Lacroix said that he was very pleased with the cooperation between the UN and Serbia, highlighting Serbia’s contribution to the preservation of international peace by deploying its troops to multinational operations, primarily military medical staff serving with MINUSCA Level 2+ Military Hospital in the Central African Republic and the contribution to the United Nations Interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
According to him, the personnel involved in UN missions face numerous challenges and difficulties in the field, which requires the increase in mobility. He highlighted the UN’s need for deficient military equipment and certain specialties, such as helicopter crews and engineering units. Due to the said needs, Under-Secretary-General Lacroix said, the UN is already devoting serious effort to increase the use of digital technologies, by organizing training courses and engaging intelligence experts, through strategic communication and the use of UAVs and drones.
He also said that it was extremely important for the UN to increase the number of women in multinational operations and thanked Serbia for its efforts in this regard. He expressed his expectation that the number of women participating in UN missions would increase in the period to come.Under-Secretary-General Lacroix invited the minister of defence to attend the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Ghana and expressed his expectation that Serbia would prepare proposals for new forms of contribution in this domain.
