Bangladesh Pledges AI, Solar Power & Female Police Units for UN Peace Missions

Bangladesh has pledged several specialised military and police units to further strengthen the uniformed capabilities of UN peacekeeping operations. Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain announced these new pledges while delivering his country's statement at the concluding day of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial being held in Berlin on Wednesday. 

Bangladesh's pledges also included deployment of 15% female peacekeepers in police units and implementation of an AI-Integrated Camp Surveillance and Response System, and installation of 1.8 MW Solar panels in existing missions. 

Deputy leader of Bangladesh delegation, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Defence and National Solidarity Development, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Abdul Hafiz joined a parallel session as a panellist and emphasised on increased focus on safety and security of peacekeepers through the proper use of technology and structured training of peacekeepers on the use of these technologies in the field. He also called for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in peacekeeping.

At the sidelines of the Ministerial, the Foreign Adviser held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Liberia, Panama, Eswatini, Guinea, the Czech Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Foreign Adviser also met with the Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service.