The United Nations Secretary-General has paid tribute to the 129 peacekeepers, both military and civilians, who lost their lives while serving under the UN Flag last year and in the first month of 2021.
Marking the International Day of Peacekeepers in a virtual ceremony ahead of its official commemoration on May 29, Antonio Guterres praised the efforts of the blue helmets as inspiring great pride and inspiration in the organisation.
“We salute the dedication & bravery of all our peacekeepers – women & men, the young & the slightly older – and we remain grateful for their service & sacrifice.”
— @antonioguterres at ceremony honouring fallen UN Peacekeepers. https://t.co/unYYC9YlPY pic.twitter.com/sm7UK5oa8t
— United Nations (@UN) May 27, 2021
The UN also honoured Kenyan peacekeeper, Major Steplyne Nyaboga, with the prestigious Gender Advocate of the Year award for 2020.
Guterres honoured the more than 4000 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948.
“The challenges and threats faced by our peacekeepers are immense. They work hard every day to protect some of the world’s most vulnerable while facing the dual threats of violence and a global pandemic. Despite COVID-19, across all our missions, peacekeepers have not only been adapting to continue to deliver their core tasks, but they are also assisting national and community efforts to fight the virus. I am proud of the work they have done.”
“From CAR to DRC to Lebanon, our peacekeepers work with youth to reduce violence and sustain peace, including through Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration and Community violence reduction programmes. In doing so, our very own young peacekeepers bring new ideas, hope and energy to our operations. They engage effectively with local populations and contribute to the improvement of overall performance and mandate delivery. We salute the dedication and bravery of all our peacekeepers – women and men, the young and the slightly older – and we remain grateful for their service and sacrifice,” Guterres said.
Some 85 000 civilians, police and military personnel are currently deployed in 12 peacekeeping operations globally, six in Africa. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre LaCroix.
“Our peacekeepers operate in increasingly dangerous and challenging environment. And there is no better way to honour the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the service of peace than to redouble our efforts to improve the safety and security of our peacekeepers.”
“For this, I express my sincere gratitude to the United Nations, particularly the Department of Peace Operations for promoting gender, women, peace and security within its operations. During my two-year deployment with UNAMID Force headquarters from February 2019 to February 2021, I gained invaluable lessons and experiences. For instance, when women IDP in Zalingei expressed security concerns preventing them from accessing their farmlands, we put in place enhanced gender-responsive patrols along farming areas. This helped create an enabling environment for women as they farmed and I’m proud of this achievement which showed that when all components of the UN peacekeeping mission work together, we all win.”
Today, we award the Dag Hammarskjöld medal to 129 @UN Peacekeepers who lost their life serving under the UN flag in recent months.
Their ultimate sacrifice will not be forgotten, and they will always be in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/QxtZhbVQNw
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 27, 2021
UN pays tribute to peacekeepers:
