Kazakhstan’s Efforts to Expand Peacekeeping Quotas and Reach New Areas
Kazakhstan Seeks Additional Quotas for Peacekeepers at UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting
At the UN peacekeeping ministerial meeting on Dec. 5, the Kazakh Defense Ministry expressed its interest in acquiring additional quotas for peacekeepers and expanding its involvement in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations, as reported by the ministry’s press service.
The biennial event convened foreign defense ministers to assess the UN peacekeeping activities and the outcomes of implementing the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative.
Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant-General Sultan Kamaletdinov stated, “The peacekeeping capability system has declared specialized units that meet operational needs. These include a military field hospital, police detachment, engineering, and reconnaissance units.”
Since 2007, more than 500 Kazakh servicemen have participated in UN missions in Nepal, Western Sahara, Ivory Coast, and Lebanon. Additionally, from 1992 to 2001, over 9,000 military personnel from Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces safeguarded the external border of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in the Tajik-Afghan land area. Moreover, nearly 300 Kazakh sappers of the Kazbat peacekeeping battalion carried out a mission in Iraq related to demining operations from August 2003 to October 2008.
In March 2018, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed that A4P establish principles and commitments to enhance peacekeeping. Thanks to the A4P initiative, the Declaration of Shared Commitments has received over 150 endorsements and provides a shared roadmap for participating states.
During the meeting, the Kazakh delegation also emphasized its commitment to further contributing to UN peacekeeping efforts and sought opportunities to expand its role in supporting global peace and security. The country’s dedication to peacekeeping operations aligns with its longstanding efforts to promote stability and cooperation on the international stage.
