Nigeria has assumed the leadership of the United Nations (UN) special committee on peacekeeping operations (C-34)
Jimoh Ibrahim, Nigeria’s permanent representative to the UN, took over as chairperson after his predecessor, David Lametti, Canadian ambassador to the UN, handed over leadership of the committee.
Speaking after taking over as chairperson of the committee, Ibrahim said Nigeria would seek to bridge the gap between peacekeeping policies formulated at the UN headquarters and the realities faced by peacekeepers and civilians in conflict zones.
“We just took over the UN peacekeeping committee from Canada. Nigeria is fully back. We must ensure that the gap between policy and practice is closed,” he said.
“This leadership gives us another opportunity to contribute meaningfully to strengthening multilateralism, improving peacekeeping and ensuring that the United Nations delivers practical results.”
Ibrahim identified the disconnect between policy formulation and operational implementation as one of the major issues Nigeria would address during its tenure.
He said counter-terrorism and peacekeeping operations must remain focused on maintaining stability while protecting the interests and welfare of civilians.
Ibrahim said Nigeria’s leadership would be anchored in effective peacekeeping, the protection of civilians, field-informed policymaking, financial responsibility, respect for the UN Charter, and greater accountability among countries and institutions involved in peacekeeping operations.
Ibrahim’s assumption of the chairmanship of the C-34 places Nigeria at the helm of two key UN committees.
He is also chairperson of the budget and administration for the UN General Assembly’s fifth committee, which is responsible for the organisation’s administrative and budgetary matters.
Ibrahim was accredited as Nigeria’s permanent representative to the UN by António Guterres, the organisation’s secretary-general, in April.