DUSHANBE, August 2, Asia-Plus — After passing all necessary procedures, first Tajik peacekeepers will be sent for a year either to Kosovo or Eastern Timor, Liberia or Georgia, Asia-Plus has learned at the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
The source at a MoI said that an initiative on training of Tajik peacekeepers came from UN Police Adviser Victor Schmidt in 2006 already. “During his talks with senior representatives from Tajik MoI, Mr. Schmidt noted that UN peacekeeping missions now are represented by 91 countries, adding that Tajikistan, which has a good experience in settling conflict and post-conflict problems, could also join those countries,” the source said.
Over the last several months, candidates to the peacekeeping mission have been selected. “17 officers from the MoI, including 6 young women, have been competitively selected,” the source said, noting that they had taken training courses at peacekeepers’ training centers in Hungary, Sweden and Russia.
“At present, international experts headed by Shahkar Fayzal, an officer with the UN department for peacekeeping operations, are examining their knowledge of foreign languages (English or French), driving and weapon-using skills,” the source said, adding that Tohir Nourov, the deputy chief of the MoI Cynology Center, heads the Tajik peacekeeping group.
Peacekeeping is a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace.”
Peacekeepers monitor and observe peace processes in post-conflict areas and assist ex-combatants in implementing the peace agreements they may have signed. Such assistance comes in many forms, including confidence-building measures, power-sharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening the rule of law, and economic and social development. Accordingly UN peacekeepers (often referred to as Blue Helmets because of their light blue helmets) can include soldiers, civilian police officers, and other civilian personnel.
The Charter of the United Nations gives the UN Security Council the power and responsibility to take collective action to maintain international peace and security. For this reason, the international community usually looks to the Security Council to authorize peacekeeping operations, as all UN Peacekeeping missions must be authorized by the Security Council. Most of these operations are established and implemented by the United Nations itself with troops serving under UN operational command.
The MoI source noted that participation of Tajik police officers in the UN peacekeeping operations will allow raising Tajikistan prestige on international arena.
