International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2022; May 29th.

 FORUM: People. Peace. Progress: The Power of Partnerships. International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2022.

Peacekeeping is just one of many tools used by the United Nations to help secure global peace and security. It is a collective enterprise. Standing alone, we can never succeed. But, together with partners, we are strong and changing lives for the better.

Statement by the U.N. Secretary-General on International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2022; May 29th.

Today, we honour the more than one million women and men who have served as United Nations peacekeepers since 1948.

We pay tribute to the nearly 4,200 heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace.

And we are reminded of an age-old truth: peace can never be taken for granted.

Peace is the prize.

We are deeply grateful to the 87,000 civilian, police and military personnel now serving under the UN flag who are helping to realize the prize of peace worldwide.

They face enormous challenges. Rising violence against peacekeepers has made their work even more dangerous. Restrictions due to the pandemic have made it more difficult. But United Nations peacekeepers continue to serve with distinction as partners for peace.

This year, we focus on the Power of Partnerships.

We know that peace is won when governments and societies join forces to resolve differences through dialogue, build a culture of nonviolence, and protect the most vulnerable.

Around the globe, UN peacekeepers work with Member States, civil society, humanitarians, the media, the communities they serve and many others, to foster peace, protect civilians, promote human rights and the rule of law and improve the lives of millions of people.

Today and every day, we salute their dedication in helping societies turn away from conflict, towards a more peaceful and prosperous future for all.

We are forever in their debt.

António Guterres.

EVENTS

To mark the Day at the UN Headquarters in New York on 26 May, the Secretary-General will lay a wreath in honour of all peacekeepers who have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag over the past seven decades. And a virtual ceremony will be held at which the Dag Hammarskjold medal will be awarded posthumously to peacekeepers who lost their lives in 2021. The Military Gender Advocate of the Year award will also be presented at the virtual ceremony. Dag Hammarskjöld Medal Awards.

The Day is an opportunity to recognize the service and sacrifice of the more than one million personnel who have served under the blue flag since 1948. It is also a chance to honour the memory of the more than 4,000 peacekeepers who lost their lives in the cause of peace.

Series: 

• People for Peace
•  Five ways that UN Peacekeeping partnerships drive peace and development