United Nations, Jun 24 (IANS): UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix headed to prepare in Bangladesh for the "Women in UN Peacekeeping" December ministerial meeting in Ghana, a UN spokesman said.

The Dhaka conference is the first of four such meetings ahead of the two-day UN ministerial session in Accra, beginning December 5, said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Friday. The Dhaka meeting concludes on June 26 (Monday).

Haq added the preparatory session, co-hosted by Bangladesh, Canada, and Uruguay, is to hear representatives from troop and police contributing countries and UN peacekeeping experts discussing progress, challenges and good practices to promote women's meaningful participation in UN peacekeeping and to foster gender-responsive leadership, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said that from Bangladesh, Under-Secretary-General Lacroix goes to Nepal and Bhutan for meetings on June 27-July 3 on the countries' support for UN peace operations, including within the framework of the peacekeeping ministerial conference on women.