Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Today Marks International Day of UN Peacekeepers


Mon 29 May 2023 | 06:39 PM
Ahmed Emam

The International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed on May 29 in recognition of the service and sacrifice of the more than one million personnel who have served under the blue flag since 1948.

The day also aims to honor the memory of the more than 4,000 peacekeepers who lost their lives in the cause of peace.

The theme of this year “Peace begins with me” recognizes the service and sacrifice of peacekeepers, past and present, including more than 4200 who have given their lives under the UN flag, according to the UN.

The International Day of UN Peacekeepers was created by the UN General Assembly in 2002, to pay tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping, and to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

In his message on this occasion, Secretary-General António Guterres said: “United Nations peacekeepers are the beating heart of our commitment to a more peaceful world. For 75 years, they have supported people and communities rocked by conflict and upheaval across the globe. Today, on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, we honor their extraordinary contributions to international peace and security.”

The Secretary-General laid this morning a wreath in honor of fallen peacekeepers at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site on the North Lawn.

Then, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal and Military Gender Advocate of the Year ceremonies took place in the General Assembly Hall, where the UN Chief presented the 2022 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award to Captain Cecilia Erzuah, a military officer from Ghana who served with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Created in 2016, the Award “recognizes the dedication and effort of an individual peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security”.