17.11.2020.
Day of the Peacekeeping Operations Centre marked
Members of the Serbian Armed Forces’ Peacekeeping Operations Centre marked the Day of the Centre – 17th November today. On this occasion, work results were summarized, and the most deserving individuals were presented with awards and commendations.
The Day of the Peacekeeping Operations Centre – 17th November, commemorates the day in 1956 when the Yugoslav Army’s advance party entered Sinai, ten days after United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1001 established the UNEF (United Nations Emergency Force). In this way, our armed forces, together with the armed forces of other contributors, laid the foundations of what we now call the United Nations multilateral peacekeeping operations.
The Peacekeeping Operations Centre has marked its day in a different way due to the epidemiological situation, says the Head of the Centre, Colonel Ivan Lazarević.- The most important thing is that the spread of the COVID 19 disease has not reduced our engagement, so the Centre performs its tasks on a daily and regular basis. At the moment, 274 members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces are deployed in areas of operations - five United Nations operations and three European Union operations. Everyone is in good health, and the Peacekeeping Operations Centre and the General Staff’s Operations Department monitor the security and epidemiological situation on a daily basis, and accordingly, we are taking appropriate measures and procedures - says Colonel Lazarević.
The Peacekeeping Operations Centre is different from similar centres around the world because it is the only one which comprehensively deals with the selection of members, providing equipment, engagement monitoring, logistics support and all allowances. It is unique in the world in terms of training because it is the only one that has three certificates for three different types of training, issued by the United Nations.
The Serbian Armed Forces pay attention to the gender aspect, which also applies to the selection of members to be sent to multinational operations, in accordance with current UN resolutions. Thus, Serbia is one of the few countries participating in peacekeeping operations that can boast a double-digit percentage of women peacekeepers in deployed contingents, about 16 percent.
Speaking about the challenges and tasks facing the Peacekeeping Operations Centre, Head of the Centre, Colonel Ivan Lazarević, points out that there is no doubt that the permanent staff is capable of carrying out all tasks to the end to the required standards.