Guterres Pays Tribute to 485 UN Personnel Died in Service

The UN chief António Guterres paid tribute to the memory of 485 UN employees who lost their lives in the line of duty during 2021.

Consoling the family members and loved ones, joining in the memorial event from all over the world, Secretary-General Guterres, said,” “We are united in sorrow and solidarity. Our hearts are with you”.

According to a statement released by the UN, he said: "Throughout the past year, COVID-19 continued to cause “immeasurable suffering and death."

The UN chief honored his colleagues who died in service last year, whether through malicious acts, natural disasters, or illness.

“Often far from home, without fanfare, they devoted their careers to helping others.”

“Together, they represent the magnificent persity of our United Nations family,” upheld the UN chief.

In the same connection, the Secretary-General pledged the support of the UN for the families of the fallen and to review and improve the safety, care, and well-being of its staff.

“We vow to carry on with the same dedication and courage that defined their work,” he said.

“Our colleagues lost their lives, but their spirit to help others lives on – today and every day,” said the UN chief, adding that may their memory be “a blessing and an inspiration to us all”.

Unbowed by cynicism, they worked to make a difference – no matter how high the obstacle; no matter how distant the reward; no matter, even, how difficult the challenge,” he said.

The UN-Secretary mentioned that they worked to secure peace in forgotten places; fed the hungry; sheltered those driven from their homes; helped protect our planet; delivered life-saving assistance; and fought to give children a better future.

“In short, they upheld the vision and values of the United Nations,” the Secretary-General declared. “We mourn their passing and cherish their memories”.

After a moment of silent reflection on their lives and service, the maven politician spoke of a world in turmoil, “scarred by conflicts, threatened by crises and overwhelmed by emergencies”.

In hope of joining forces and working together “as one international community”, Guterres reminded that the UN is both “the instrument and the expression of that community”.

Last week, three late Egyptian peacekeepers who lost their lives in 2021 were awarded the “Dag Hammarskjold Medal” for this year by UN Chief Guterres.

“Dag Hammarskjold Medal” went to Egypt’s Sergeant Moustafa Azab Khalil, First Lieutenant Abdallah Mahmoud Bahnasawy, and Colonel Sherif Lotfy, and the “Military Gender Advocate of the Year” award was presented to Zimbabwean peacekeeper Major Winnet Zharare, who recently completed her assignment with the UN mission in South Sudan.

Then, the “Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage” was awarded to the late Captain Abdelrazakh Hamit Bahar of Chad, who served in the UN mission in Mali.

The three late Egyptian peacekeepers were honored on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, which is annual occasion being observed on 29 May every year, offers a chance to pay tribute to the uniformed and civilian personnel’s invaluable contribution to the work of the Organization and to honor nearly 4,200 peacekeepers who have lost their lives serving under the UN flag since 1948, including 135 last year.

The theme for this year’s Day is “People. Peace Progress. The Power of Partnerships, according to UN.

Guterres also took this occasion to express his deep gratitude to the 87,000 civilians, police, and military personnel now serving under the UN flag who are helping to realize the prize of peace worldwide.

Since 1948, more than 1 million women and men have served in 72 UN peacekeeping operations, directly impacting the lives of millions of people and saving countless lives. Today, UN Peacekeeping deploys more than 87,000 military, police, and civilian personnel in 12 operations.

It’s worth mentioning that the Egyptian peacekeepers have helped save countless lives and brought peace and stability to many countries for many years.

Egypt is the 7th largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It currently deploys nearly 2,800 military and police personnel to the UN operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, South Sudan and the Western Sahara, according to UN Egypt.