Members of the 157 sailors and marines, of the armed forces of the Philippines contingent joining the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Haiti, stand at attention an oath during a sending-off ceremony, as a Philippine Airlines plane flies overhead, at t
IN PHOTO: Members of the 157 sailors and marines, of the armed forces of the Philippines contingent joining the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Haiti, stand at attention an oath during a sending-off ceremony, as a Philippine Airlines plane flies overhead, at the Villamor air base in Pasay city, metro Manila September 22, 2014. The troops will be tasked to provide perimeter security for the force's headquarters of the UN Mission in Haiti, a naval press statement said. Reuters/Stringer

In a major recognition to New Zealand defence forces, its army chief Major General Dave Gawn has been appointed as Chief of Staff to the Jerusalem-based United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation. Gawn will soon step down as the army chief for assuming the new responsibility. Gawn will take over from Major-General Michael Finn of Ireland in August.

Gawn said it was a tough choice but UNTSO is once in a lifetime opportunity. It has been conceived as an observational mission based in Israel. But Gawn said he will also travel to Syria and Lebanon as part of his role. The appointment has been made by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. “I think it's a very pivotal point in history in terms of time in what's occurring in the Middle East with Islamic State and everything going on in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and the rest of the region. That's what really attracted me to the opportunity when it was presented to me," the New Zealand army chief said.

New Zealand Chief of Defence, Lieutenant-General Tim Keating hailed Gawn's selection and called it a “challenging role that reflected greatly on the man, and the Defence Force.” He said, around the world, NZ Defence Force has a great reputation for its professionalism, leadership and skills.

Tribute To Leadership

Keating said, Gawn's appointment is also a testament to his strong leadership skills and ability to undertake a significant role on the international stage. He said it is an achievement that New Zealand can be proud of. Under the UN protocols, Gawn will have to wear a New Zealand uniform though formally he will cease to be a member of the NZ Defence Force. In total, 26 countries are contributing military personnel to the mission, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland and the United States. Right now, eight New Zealand Defence Force personnel are serving with UNTSO.

Mandate

Historically, UNTSO has a special place as the first peacekeeping operation set up by the United Nations. The first military observers arrived in the Middle East in June 1948. The activities of UNTSO cover Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The UNTSO military observers in the Middle East have the mandate to monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent escalation of isolated incidents and assist in the overall peacekeeping operations in the region.

(For feedback/comments, contact the writer at k.kumar@ibtimes.com.au)

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