Ghanaian Peacekeepers Are Outstanding - Un

The United Nations today, (March 26, 2015), commended Ghana for her outstanding contributions over the years to Peacekeeping Operations in the world.

The Under Secretary-General of the Department for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Harve Ladsous, made the commendation when Vice Admiral Matthew Quarshie, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of Ghana, one of the top 10 troop contributing countries in the world paid a courtesy call on him at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Ghana's CDS is attending the first-ever Chiefs of Defence Conference, which has attracted Chief of Defence and senior Military Officials from more than 100 member states to discuss issues central to UN peacekeeping.

The historic meeting is part of a wider process of engagement with Member States to expand the peacekeeping partnership and promote effective and efficient implementation of complex mission mandates.

During the discussions that centred on Ghana's peacekeeping operations, its challengers and the way forward, Mr. Ladsous said 'We are grateful for the solid contributions Ghanaian peacekeepers have been giving to us. Frankly speaking, we have no problem with Ghanaian Peacekeepers for their level of professionalism unlike others”.

The head of the UN's peacekeeping singled out Ghana for including a lot of women in its troops serving on various UN peacekeeping operations, saying that “this is remarkable and outstanding”.

Furthermore, he mentioned the significant role the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana, was playing in the training of peacekeepers.

On the conference, the Under Secretary-General said that it was a follow-up to the Peacekeeping Summit that took place last September.

Responding, Vice Admiral Matthew Quarshie said he was happy that Ghanaian Peacekeepers had been highly rated by the UN for their contributions to global peacekeeping and their high level of professionalism.

On the involvement of more Ghanaian females in UN peacekeeping operations, the CDS said it was a Government policy, pointing out that even the Navy now had a significant number of women.

Vice Admiral Quarshie, who discussed ways to further enhance Ghana's peacekeeping roles, expressed his happiness for the appropriate and satisfying responses received from the UN during the interaction.

“It is a good motivation for my men that they are so highly rated by the UN for giving very satisfactory service”, the elated Ghanaian CDS stated.

Ghana's CDS also called on the Under Secretary-General for Field Support, Mr. Atul Khane, whose outfit provides dedicated support to peacekeeping missions and political field missions around the world to find ways of enhancing Ghana's peacekeeping operations.

Mr. Khane expressed satisfaction with Ghana's Airforce and Medical Units peacekeeping operations in the Côte d'Ivoire and Mali.

Earlier, Vice Admiral Quarshie was briefed by the Military Advisor to the United Nations, Brigadier Samuel Yanyi Akoful and also interacted with the Ghana Armed Force UN Desk Officers.

Present were Col. Constance Edjeani-Afenu, Deputy Military Advisor, Mr. Philbert Johnson, Chargé d'Affaires, Mr. R. Harry Reynolds, Head of Information and DSP Emmanuel Dade, Police Advisor.