Tunisia’s participation in peacekeeping operations was at the center of the meeting held by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Othman Jerandi with the Deputy Secretary General of the UN for peace operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
The interview took place on the sidelines of Jerandi’s participation in the high-level general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is being held from September 20 to 27 in New York.
Quoted in a statement from the Foreign Affairs Department published on Sunday, Jerandi recalled Tunisia’s participation since the 1960s in peacekeeping operations, affirming the country’s readiness to guarantee the participation of a greater number of military cadres. , security and civilians to UN peacekeeping and stability restoration operations.
He underlined Tunisia’s determination to guarantee a high level of operational and legal training for Tunisian executives, recalling that a contingent of military forces has just completed training and is ready to respond to any request from the UN. .
Jerandi mentioned the participation of a Tunisian aviation unit in a UN mission in Mali and an aviation unit made up of attack helicopters and a special forces brigade, which will support the interventions. UN peace organizations in the Central African Republic.
For his part, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations praised the excellent level of military and security forces and civilian units in Tunisia as well as their professional commitment, skills and qualifications; in addition to their linguistic knowledge which facilitates the action of UN missions, in particular in Africa.
He also welcomed the role devolved to the Tunisian aviation unit in Mali, affirming that the participation of the Tunisian aviation unit composed of attack helicopters in the interventions in the Central African Republic will make it possible to control the situation. and to limit the activities of armed groups.
In addition, Jean-Pierre Lacroix spoke of the challenges facing peacekeeping operations in the face of the upsurge in violence, the activities of terrorist groups and organized crime in conflict zones as well as the difficulties related to the effects of Covid-19 and the increase in migration.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs told his interlocutor Tunisia’s readiness to present training programs for peacekeepers, in particular in the areas of protection of civilians, human rights and international law.
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