STORY: UN peacekeeping chief lauds global peacekeeping efforts, stresses China's key role
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 8, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 12, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:20
LOCATION: UN Headquarters
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE (English): JEAN-PIERRE LACROIX, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations

STORYLINE:

The 2023 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial concluded on Dec. 6 in Accra, Ghana. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, expressed his satisfaction with the pledges the international community made at the meeting and stressed China's key role in global peacekeeping efforts. 

Ninety-one member states and three international organizations expressed their collective commitment and political support to UN peacekeeping at the meeting, while 57 member states announced new pledges to meet current and future challenges and needs, in line with ongoing reform under Action for Peacekeeping and A4P+, key priorities to improve peacekeeping effectiveness.

SOUNDBITE (English): JEAN-PIERRE LACROIX, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations
"We were very happy and heartened really to see that in this ministerial-level meeting in Accra, so many member states, including China, made very important pledges. China made very important pledges when it comes to, in particular, its important contribution to training in many important areas. So we're extremely grateful to member states for these very important commitments that we need. What we have to do now is to make sure that we follow up with member states so that we can operationalize these pledges and make sure that they will have a positive impact on peacekeeping.
We had a senior-level representation of China, and we're very appreciative of that, and the commitments and pledges that we heard from China are, of course, critically important. We're extremely appreciative of that. We heard, first of all, reaffirmation of the support by China to peacekeeping, which is, of course, very important, as China being the second largest financial contributor, also very important contributor in (sending) troops to peacekeeping.
But in addition to that, we heard a commitment to strengthening peacekeeping capability readiness, and of course, its commitment to continue sending troops and many important pledges when it comes to training, hosting international training courses in many different areas that are very important, such as peacekeeping intelligence or focusing on female peacekeeping, and also the important regional, the commitment to supporting regional peacekeeping cooperation, which is also very important. And of course, China has been, for many years, opening its training center in particular, and the various events that it is organizing on peacekeeping to foreign nations. So we're extremely appreciative, and of course, we are also very grateful to the many women and men from China who are currently serving operations."

More than 70,000 peacekeepers, who currently serve in 12 missions around the world, are helping to save lives, prevent conflict, and create conditions for lasting peace, said Lacroix.
   
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from UN Headquarters.
(XHTV)