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Indonesia can take regional lead in global peacekeeping
Indonesia has made significant contributions to global peacekeeping, and can use its well-established commitment by pushing to empower female peacekeepers through a regional approach.
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Indonesian female peacekeepers stand at attention as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). (the United Nations/handout)
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onsistent with its active role in contributing to the United Nations peacekeeping operations (PKO), Indonesia has “elevated its game” by promoting training, capacity building and women’s empowerment, especially in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia remains by far the biggest contributor to PKO among ASEAN countries according to UN data. It is also home to Southeast Asia’s biggest peacekeeping training center.
Pursuing its goal of “Investing in Peace”, Indonesian carved its legacy in building international peace during its presidency of the United Nations Security Council last year by highlighting two points: bringing forth the agenda of women, peace and security (WPS) in UN peacekeeping missions and empowering regional action through partnership. This year, Indonesia is committed to furthering renewed global commitment through Action for Peacekeeping (A4P), as discussed in a webinar on women in peacekeeping it cohosted with Bangladesh in May.
The A4P initiative, launched in 2018, aims to “renew mutual political commitment to peacekeeping operations” through the eight priorities of: advancing political solutions to conflict; furthering the WPS agenda; strengthening protection provided by PKO; improving safety and security for peacekeepers; supporting effective performance and accountability; increasing the impacts of PKO in sustaining peace; improving partnerships; and strengthening the conduct of peacekeepers and PKO.
Renewed priorities for 2021-2023 were agreed in the new Action for Peacekeeping Plus (A4P+), as expressed in the UN Secretary-General’s message to mark the initiative’s third year of implementation.
A4P+ will work on the importance of quality over quantity in sectors of strategy, integration, peacekeepers and communications. These priorities have resonated with Indonesia’s continued efforts in putting forth gender-balanced peacekeeping operations and its implementation in the ASEAN region.
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Jakarta is currently assessing Indonesia’s implementation of the A4P goals. The country’s significant modalities, including its moderate Muslim-majority population that supports women’s participation in peacekeeping missions, its capacity to influence and speak on behalf of ASEAN through the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, and its rich experience in dealing with local, national and regional conflicts, will help Indonesia to fulfill its commitments in both A4P and A4P+.
