About Un Cell

USI - UN CELL

The United Service Institution (USI) of India has played a stellar role in the furtherance of India's UN Peacekeeping (UNPK) endeavors. The Centre for UNPK (CUNPK) was established and nurtured at the USI, with support from MEA and Armed Forces, to become a regional node for excellence in UNPK capacity building and practicing UN diplomacy. Today, CUNPK has grown to become a full-fledged unit of the Indian Army and focuses on training and tactical issues related to UNPK.

The USI is now focusing on the operational, strategic, and policy issues related to UNPK. The USI has taken the lead in providing the platform for organizing discourses and research in the field of UN peace operations to present an Indian perspective on a few crucial attributes of the current challenges that face the reform of UN peace operations.

The USI UN Cell, under Maj Gen PK Goswami (Retd), Deputy Director, is providing necessary impetus to highlight India's contribution to UNPK at the operational, strategic, and policy levels, as well as other UNPK related issues in various forums.

The USI is endowed with a highly experienced UN-related resource faculty comprising our former permanent representatives to the UN, Heads and Deputy Heads of UNPK Missions, Force Commanders and Deputy Force Commanders, and those who have held staff and advisory appointments at the UN HQ at the policymaking level, besides a vast reservoir of UN Military Observers (UNMO) from military, paramilitary, and police forces. Our rich resource faculty makes USI's contribution to the field of peacekeeping creditable. During the year, two USI publications on UN Peacekeeping were published: Maj Gen (Dr) AK Bardalai (Retd), Distinguished Fellow, wrote a book on "Keeping The Peace: UN Peace Operations and Their Effectiveness: An Assessment" which was released by Mr Per Olsson Fridh, Director, Folke Bernadotte Academy and former Minister for International Development Cooperation in Sweden on 07 Oct 2022. Another book by Maj Gen PK Goswami, Deputy Director USI, titled "India and UN Peacekeeping: Through the Prism of Time" was released by Mr Jean Pierre Lacroix, Under Secretary General for Peace Operations, United Nations, on 07 Oct 2022 at USI. Both the books were released on the sidelines of Challenges Annual Forum 2022, held at USI of India on 06-07 Oct 2022. USI is now working on another book to cover all UN Peacekeeping Missions where India contributed and is likely to be released during 2023.

The USI and ICWA have entered into a partnership to promote India's domain expertise in UNPK, with a focus on operational, strategic, policy, and doctoral issues. Under the USI-ICWA partnership in 2021, a series of webinars were conducted, and since then, seven webinars have been conducted on UN themes. Similarly, during 2022, the USI conducted two UN-themed webinars on Women, Peace & Security and Challenges of Mission Leadership in UN Peace Operations, and a third one will be conducted by the end of the year. These events were given due coverage by The Kootneeti (https://thekootneeti.in/). Another important project in progress is a joint USI-ICWA book titled "India and UN Peacekeeping," likely to be completed early next year.

6. The following UN-themed webinars were conducted to date by USI since COVID, besides other participations:

(a) India and UN Peace Operations: Principles of UN Peacekeeping and Mandate.

(b) The impact of Climate Change on UN Peacekeeping Operations, in collaboration with NUPI & SIPRI.

(d) Effectiveness of UN Peace Operations: Dynamics of Composition of Troops and Diversity in UN Peace Operations.

(e) UN Peacekeeping Operations: Protection of Civilians.

(f) Women, Peace, and Security.

(g) Challenges of Mission Leadership in UN Peace Operations in delivering the mandate.

7. The following UN professionals and practitioners participated in 2021:

(a) Mr David Harei, Director, Policy, Evaluation & Training Division, UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO).

(b) Ms Pernilla Rydén, Director, Challenges Forum.

(d) Dr. Florian Krampe, Director, Climate Change and Risk Programme, SIPRI.

(e) Ms. Renata Lok-Dessallien, UN Resident Coordinator in India.

8. A number of Indian UN professionals and practitioners participated in these events, including:

(a) Lt Gen Satish Nambiar (Retd), former Director USI and Head of Mission UNPROFOR.

(b) Amb Vijay Thakur Singh, DG, ICWA.

(d) Lt Gen Chander Prakash (Retd), former DDE, USI and Force Cdr MONUSCO.

(e) Lt Gen JS Lidder, (Retd), former Force Commander and then Deputy SRSG UNMIS.

(f) Jack Christofides, Deputy HoM and Director of Political and Civil Affairs of UNIFIL.

(g) Lt Gen S Tinaikar (Retd), former Force Commander UNMISS.

(h) Maj Gen (Dr) AK Bardalai (Retd), Former Dy Head of Mission & Dy Force Cdr UNIFIL.

(j) Maj Gen PK Goswami, VSM (Retd), Deputy Director, USI, and former military observer in UNVEM.

(k) Col (Dr) KK Sharma (Retd), former military observer in UNTAC.

9. At the conclusion of each webinar, talks, and presentations were compiled, edited, and printed as a Monograph to share the rich experience of the speaker with a larger audience and cross-fertilization of ideas. This initiative assumes added importance at a juncture when India is a member of the UN Security Council.

10. Besides this, USI participated in a number of UN events conducted by others like KNDU, Korea; Embassy of India, Seoul, Korea; UN Day by CLAWS and Beijing International Forum by PAC, MND, China. The USI was represented in all UN-related activities by Maj Gen PK Goswami (Retd).

USI - Challenges Forum Collaboration

11. Challenges Forum has emerged as an international platform for constructive dialogue on UNPKO and to bridge the divide between policy and operational levels, and to create shared understandings among the UN and regional organizations, member states, troop and police contributing countries, and host countries. The USI is a founding partner of the Challenges Forum and has been partnering with them on various UNPK related issues. This year, USI partnered and conducted Challenges Annual Forum 2022, held on 6 – 7 Oct 2022, with "Future of Peace Operations" as the main theme and "Place for Preventive Deployment in Diplomacy," "Protecting the Protectors," and "Protection of Civilians" as sub-themes. This event had high-level participation from the UN and other international organizations:

(a) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General forHere's the continuation of the corrected version of the document:

Peace Operations, United Nations.

(b) Elisabeth Spehar, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, United Nations.

(c) Ahmed Abdel Latif, Director-General, Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding (CCCPA).

(d) Per Olsson Fridh, Chair, Challenges Forum Partner Meeting & Director of the Folke Bernadotte Academy; former Minister for International Development Cooperation in Sweden.

(e) Dr. Lotte Vermeij, Senior Expert on UN Peace Operations and Sexual Violence in Conflict, NORCAP.

(f) Richard Gowan, UN Director, Crisis Group.

(g) Bintou Keita, SRSG and HOM MONUSCO.

(h) Francesca Mold, Chief of Strategic Communications, UN DPO.

(J) Flaminia Minelli, Chief Policy, Evaluation and Training Division, UN DPO.

(k) Kano Takehiro, Director-General, International Peace Cooperation Headquarters, Cabinet Office, Japan.

(l) Lt Gen Satish Nambiar (Retd), former Director USI and HoM UNPROFOR.

(b) Amb Vijay Thakur Singh, DG, ICWA.

(m) Lt Gen JS Lidder, (Retd), former Force Commander and then Deputy SRSG UNMIS.

(n) Lt Gen Chander Prakash (Retd), former Force Commander, MONUSCO.

(p) Lt Gen M Fernandez, Director-General, Directorate of Staff Duties, Indian Army.

(q) Maj Gen (Dr) AK Bardalai (Retd), Former Dy Head of Mission & Dy Force Cdr UNIFIL.

(r) Maj Gen PK Goswami, VSM (Retd), Deputy Director, USI, and former military observer in UNVEM.

(s) Col (Dr) KK Sharma (Retd), former military observer in UNTAC.

12. This complete event was coordinated by a team consisting of Maj Gen PK Goswami, Deputy Director USI, Maj Gen (Dr) AK Bardalai, and Col (Dr) KK Sharma.

Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)

13. USI has been associated with NUPI in various projects, events, and discussions. Dr. Cedric De Coning, Research Professor, NUPI, has been very supportive of our lead in UN-related themes. Last year, he proposed the name of USI to EPON for a thematic study on protection in UN peace operations. He was also instrumental in inviting the USI team to the UN HQ to present that study during EPON Week in May 2022.

Effectiveness of Peace Operations Network (EPON)

14. The USI is a founding member of EPON and has been associated with their UN-related activities and studies in the past. During 2021, USI participated in a thematic study on Protection in UN Peace Operations, represented by Col (Dr) K K Sharma (Retd), Visiting Fellow, USI. During 2022, EPON invited the USI team consisting of Maj Gen PK Goswami, Maj Gen (Dr) AK Bardalai, and Col (Dr) KK Sharma to participate in EPON Week at the UN HQ in New York from 10-12 May 2022. The following presentations were given by the USI team:

(a) "Capabilities and Readiness of TCCs/PCCs" by Maj Gen PK Goswami, VSM (Retd), Deputy Director, USI.

(b) "Effectiveness of POC mandate in UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)" by Col (Dr) KK Sharma, Visiting Fellow, USI.

(c) "The Role of Observer Missions in The Future Of Peace Operations" by Maj Gen (Dr) AK Bardalai, Distinguished Fellow, USI.

Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)

15. In the year 2023, USI engaged with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and is in the process of concluding an MoU for UN peacekeeping-related activities.

In May 2023, Maj Gen (Dr) AK Bardalai, Distinguished Fellow, was part of the GCSP team (in collaboration with NUPI) to study the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) - United Nations Peacekeeping, the first UN peacekeeping mission which completed 75 years on 29 May 2023.

USI looks forward to further collaboration with GCSP in other diverse peacekeeping-related activities.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

16. USI, in collaboration with the ICRC, proposes to conduct conferences, seminars, and roundtable discussions.

Misc Activities

17. Books:

(a) "Keeping The Peace: UN Peace Operations and Their Effectiveness: An Assessment" by Major General (Dr) AK Bardalai (Retd), Distinguished Fellow, USI.

(b) "The India and UN Peacekeeping: Through the Prism of Time" by Major General PK Goswami (Retd), Deputy Director-General USI.

(c) "India and the UN Peace Operations: In the Service of Humanity and Global Peace" by Col (Dr) KK Sharma, Visiting Fellow, USI.

18. Monographs:

(a) India and UN Peace Operations: Principles of UN Peacekeeping and Mandate.

(b) The impact of Climate Change on UN Peacekeeping Operations, in collaboration with NUPI & SIPRI.

(d) Effectiveness of UN Peace Operations: Dynamics of Composition of Troops and Diversity in UN Peace Operations.

(e) UN Peacekeeping Operations: Protection of Civilians.

(f) Women, Peace, and Security.

(g) Challenges of Mission Leadership in UN Peace Operations in delivering the mandate.

19. Participation:

(a) 10-12 May 2022 - EPON Week at UN HQ, New York.

(b) 24-25 Aug 2022 - Beijing International Forum by PAC, MND, China.

(d) 28 Nov 2022 - ROK-India Defence Strategic Forum, Seoul, South Korea.