“Of course the UN is not perfect. “They are made up of people and they are not perfect, they have their own interests, and these are often in conflict,” said security expert Milan Mikulecký.

He also added his own criticism: “I also don’t like how it works in a system where a man’s voice has the same weight as a cannibal’s. Personally, everyone can say whatever they want about his activities, but politicians have to respect their words them. It’s easy to shout something in an emotional state, but we also have to always give a B. Do we have anything better than the PBB?” he asked.

And he also mentioned important contributions in the form of military missions. “The countries participating in UN missions are not always neutral, and therefore, it is in the interests of the Czech Republic and our allies and friends that our soldiers are also part of them. With our departure from the UN, our participation in these missions and our ability to influence their activities towards our values ​​will also end. “On the contrary, this will only strengthen the direction of foreign policy, which we deserve to criticize,” he said.

Reform yes, leave no

Although many parties agree on the need for UN reform, they consider statements regarding withdrawal from the UN to be unconstructive. In addition, a look at history shows how important the role of peacekeeping missions under the UN flag is. For the Czech Republic, respectively Czechoslovakia, the main mission in the former Yugoslavia was UNPROFOR, where a total of more than 2,200 troops were deployed.

For them, a number of obstacles had to be overcome, including the division of the country, but it brought a number of valuable experiences to both countries. .“Many local residents did not understand that we worked side by side without rancor and hatred,” recalled Karel Blahna, now a retired general and the first commander of the Czechoslovak battalion on this mission.

Since November 1990, i.e. still under Czechoslovakia, those interested in serving in UN units, including basic service soldiers, boarded the base in Krumlov. They all go through a selection process. Those who do not pass are returned to their parent unit. Others were gradually formed into units and training began.

Once completed, the soldiers from basic service were put into reserve, with the understanding that they would be asked to join when they left on missions. After returning, they could continue to serve in the army, which many of them took advantage of. The legendary Karel Klinovský was also at the start, who, like current president Pavel, was awarded for saving the French army.

“Karel Klinovský was a member of the battalion all along. After six months, some soldiers were replaced. At that time, Petr Pavel joined the battalion,” said Blahna about the selection of the battalion, in which a number of soldiers, including the aforementioned Klinovský, stood out. “The UN is also here for children and we must not forget that,” added Blahna.

From missions to demanding military courses

He then worked at Vyškov as head of the training department, where he became one of the creators of the basic training course (every soldier had to pass the course, editor’s note) and one of the founders of the most demanding course in the Czech army – the Commando combat course. UNPROFOR’s mission in Yugoslavia is the second mission under the UN flag. He already has experience from Iraq.

“It’s good that we provide challenging courses, as can be seen from the number of successful graduates. Usually arranged based on numbers (order of units, editor’s note). It prepares a quality leader, forming a commander who must be able to organize operations in combat, plan, take decisions, but also motivate the people around him,” said the current Army Commander, Karel Řehka, about the course.

The direct combat experience of the UN mission formulated not only the previous army, the beginnings of the Army of the Czech Republic, but also the methods and forms of training in Vyškov. It was here that not only Řehko studied, but also his predecessor, Army General Aleš Opata, and almost all current and past army leaders.

Černochová reaped the storm

Černochová’s remarks, saying that she was embarrassed by the UN and that the Czech Republic had no business in it, sparked criticism. The minister was reacting to the results of the vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East, where the Czech Republic was one of the few countries that voted against it.

A number of commentators described his words as reckless, unwise and, moreover, belittling the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Did you know that part of the UN is the International Criminal Court which investigates crimes in Ukraine? The US Secretary of State said that Israel has the right to defend itself, but how they do it is all of our business. That’s what this vote is for, not supporting terrorism. Wouldn’t it be better to resign from the government?” said former Culture Minister Lubomír Zaorálek, for example.

Black debaters remind us that UNICEF, UNESCO, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, WHO (World Health Organization), WTO (World Trade Organization) and many others are part of the UN. According to them, Černochová was not speaking on behalf of the Czech Republic, but only representing herself, and they reminded that Israel was not trying to withdraw despite the results of the vote.