ISLAMABAD, Aug 3: Pakistan at present is the top contributor to the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations around the world, latest UN data shows.

According to the data, as of March 31, 2003, out of 89 countries contributing more than 37,000 military and civilian police personnel Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, and Ghana were the top five.

Most of the Pakistani peacekeepers, around 4,000, are currently deployed in Sierra Leone, whereas they are also performing duties in East Timor and a few are part of the UN Military Observers Group in Georgia.

Pakistani peacekeeping record is considered to be best in the world, UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan had told Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri sometime back.

Even the US military chief, Gen Richard Myers, during his visit here last month commented on it. When asked why the US wanted Pakistani troops in Iraq when so many other countries had committed forces there, his response was: “It’s clear that the Pakistani armed forces are very competent, very good. They have been in these kinds of operations before.”

Since the establishment of the United Nations in 1945, close to 130 nations have contributed military and civilian police personnel in 56 UN peacekeeping operations at various times. More than 1,790 military and civilian peacekeepers have died during these operations.

Most of the peacekeeping operations have been created after the late eighties, 42 since 1988. Annual cost of UN peacekeeping personnel and equipment peaked at over $3.6 billion in 1993.

All UN member states contribute to peacekeeping operations. “Countries volunteering uniformed personnel to peacekeeping operations are reimbursed by the United Nations at a flat rate of about $1,000 per soldier per month,” a UN report says, adding the peacekeeping soldiers were paid by their own governments according to their national rank and salary scale.

UN peacekeepers, referred to as “blue helmets” or “blue berets” have patrolled buffer zones between hostile parties, monitored ceasefires and helped defuse local conflicts, allowing the quest for durable, political settlements to continue.

“For decades, states have recognized the unique advantages of UN peacekeeping as a means of dealing with conflicts. Its universality makes it uniquely suited to a wide range of situations, and assures a legitimacy as action taken on behalf of a global organization rather than on the basis of national or regional interests,” notes the UN peacekeeping report.