United Nations thanks Indonesia for its contribution to Peacekeeping

Jakarta, 11 July 2024 - United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, thanked Indonesia for its unwavering commitment and strong contribution to United Nations Peacekeeping and for the service and sacrifice of its military and police personnel deployed under the UN flag. 

Indonesia first provided peacekeepers to the United Nations in 1957, when it joined the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in Sinai, Egypt.

Today, Indonesia provides 2,715 uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping, currently making it the sixth-largest contributor globally. It is also a significant contributor of women peacekeepers, with 183 currently serving in peace operations.

"Indonesia's contributions are vital to our global efforts to maintain peace and security," said Mr. Lacroix at the conclusion of his three-day visit to Jakarta on Wednesday. "As a major contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping missions, Indonesia's dedication and professionalism are highly valued."

Indonesia's largest deployment is with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), where peacekeepers are continuing to implement the mission’s mandate in a very challenging environment. It also contributes peacekeepers to several missions, including the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

In recent decades, Indonesia has also contributed to UN peace operations in Cambodia, Liberia and Haiti, among others.

Mr. Lacroix acknowledged Indonesia's support for the United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit held in June 2024 at UN Headquarters, highlighting the important role of UN Police in peace operations. He thanked Indonesia for hosting courses and workshops to train peacekeepers from across Asia.

Mr. Lacroix spoke of the efforts Indonesia is making to increase the number of women serving in UN missions. “I look forward to welcoming many more Indonesian women, as well as men, into UN Peacekeeping over the coming years,” he said.

"It is no surprise that an Indonesian police woman was selected as the 2023 UN Woman Police Officer of the Year," he added, referring to the recognition of Police First Sergeant Renita Rismayanti by the UN Secretary General last year. (Read more about her award here.)

Mr. Lacroix met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, X and X during the visit. Among other topics, he discussed the potential for further cooperation between Indonesia and UN peacekeeping in several areas such as training, the digital transformation of peacekeeping as well as the promotion of female peacekeepers.

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Media contact: Siska Widyawati (UN Information Centre) +62 878-8488-5489