20 people have been selected out of the Kazakhstan’s armed forces to be sent to join UN missions, Newskaz.ru reports, citing the country’s Defense Ministry.
20 people have been selected out of the Kazakhstan’s armed forces to be sent to join UN missions, Newskaz.ru reports, citing the country’s Defense Ministry.
“The Defense Ministry places a special emphasis on peacekeeping effort (…) The initiative implies sending officers to join UN peacekeeping missions as observers to Haiti, Western Sahara, Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia. To this end, 20 people have been selected “, the Ministry’s answer to a respective information request states.
The country’s Foreign Ministry has sent a note to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations confirming readiness to send Kazakhstan’s peacekeepers.
“Sending of the peacekeepers should be in line with the UN rotary schedule; the timing is expected to be announced shortly”, the Ministry elaborated.
Back in March 2014 Tengrinews.kz reported, citing Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry, the latter was ready to send 20 Kazakhstan’s military observers to join UN peacekeeping missions.
The prospects vary from captains to colonels in terms of the title, have taken a special UN training and are fully knowledgeable of the guiding documents of the Organization with regards to peacekeeping efforts, have a good command of the English language, are capable to operate manual gear shift cars and military vehicles.
In line with the UN requirements, peacekeepers should be proficient users of English as the major task of peacekeepers is to collect data, analyze the situation, submit both written and oral reports on the situation.
Earlier the country’s Defense Ministry also said it was considering sending fighting forces as well. However, the decision of sending a fighting contingent of up to 150 people to join UN missions will be taken following participation of Kazakhstan’s peacekeepers in UN missions.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry is drafting a law on peacekeeping operations to regulate sending of Kazakhstan’s peacekeeping contingent.
Late 2013 at a joint sitting of the two chambers , the Parliament supported suggestions made by President Nazarbayev to send Kazakhstan’s officers to join UN peacekeeping missions.
This initiative will help Kazakhstan to succeed in fielding its candidacy to the nonpermanent members of the UN Security Council in 2017-2018 and will enable Kazakhstan to share its experience of maintaining interfaith and interethnic peace and accord.