Retired Indian Army Lt General appointed member of UN panel

, Jun 5: A retired Indian

Lieutenant General has been appointed member of a UN expert

on peacekeeping that will advice the world body on how to use new technologies and innovations in that field.

Lieutenant General (retd) Abhijit Guha is part of the five-member panel of experts appointed by Under-Secretaries- General for Peacekeeping Operations and for Field Support Herve Ladsous and Ameerah Haq. Guha has recently concluded a term as Director of the Office for Peacekeeping Strategic Partnerships in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and also served as the former Deputy Military Adviser in the department from 2010 until 2012, a statement said here.

The panel would visit field missions and consult widely with UN member states, partner organisations with similar field operations, non-governmental and governmental research institutions and think tanks as well as industry leaders in areas of interest to United Nations peacekeeping.

The panel would convene in early June and in its final report, expected by November, would recommend how UN peacekeeping can benefit from ongoing technological innovations in a systematic and integrated manner in the longer term.

The initiative is part of a concerted effort by the departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support to realise efficiency gains and cost savings from the use of new and emerging technologies and innovations. The experts would advise on how these technologies can be leveraged to enable peacekeepers to respond more effectively to an increasing number of complex, multidimensional tasks in challenging field environments.

It would also examine how technological innovations can improve operational effectiveness, multiply impact and enhance safety and security of both peacekeepers and host communities.

The panel would be led by Jane Holl Lute of the United States, a seasoned expert on peace and security who is currently the Secretary-General's Special Adviser for Relocation of Camp Hurriya Residents Outside of Iraq. The other members are Major General Michael Fryer of South Africa, Major General Ib Johannes Bager of Denmark and Walter Dorn of Canada.

The members have considerable experience and understanding of peacekeeping and in particular the need for new technologies and innovations to improve performance in carrying out the critical tasks entrusted to peacekeepers, the statement said.

PTI