Senate approves law on compensation for Kazakhstani peacekeepers
At today’s plenary session, the Senate of the Kazakh Parliament has discussed two documents concerning participation of Kazakhstan in the UN peacekeeping mission, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Namely, the senators approved the Law “On ratification of the Memorandum of Mutual Understanding between the Government of Kazakhstan on provision of resources to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and the UN."
Signed on February 14, 2024, the document sets legal and organizational basis for peacekeeping activity of Kazakhstan, determines the order of sending personnel, equipment and logistics support, as well as the mechanism of financing and reimbursement of expenses.
As the Senate Committee for International Relations, Defense and Security notes, the document consolidates the status of Kazakhstani militaries in the UNDOF , their disciplinary and criminal liability, and the measures of control over fulfillment of obligations.
Under the Memorandum, the UN assumes responsibility to reimburse the expenses associated with Kazakhstan’s participation in the mission including payments to the personnel.
According to senator Andrey Lukin, financial obligations mentioned in the Memorandum include the compensation from the UN for the participation of Kazakhstani contingent.
The total amount of payments from the UN will make around $5 million per annum: some $2.4 million per year for the personnel ($1,448 per year for each military serviceman), and $2.6 million per year for the use of equipment, armament and property.
“This enables Kazakhstan to minimize budget spending on participation in peacekeeping missions, which makes this format of interaction with the UN as economically sound,” Lukin notes.
The Senate also approved the Law “On ratification of the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan providing resources to the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and the United Nations,” dated February 14, 2024.
The Agreement regulates the order of payments from the UN to the Government of Kazakhstan for sending the personnel, basic equipment for the participation of Kazakhstan’s peacekeeping contingent in the UNDOF mission.
