UN Headquarters to observe International Day of Peacekeepers tomorrow

UN Headquarters will tomorrow observe the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, including honouring eight Bangladeshis who have lost their lives since 1948.

Secretary-General António Guterres will lay a wreath to honour the more than 4,000 UN peacekeepers and will preside over a ceremony where the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal will be awarded posthumously to 129 military, police and civilian peacekeepers, who lost their lives serving under the UN flag last year and in the first month of this year, said UN in a statement today.

The eight Bangladeshi fallen peacekeepers to be honoured are: WO Abdul Md Halim, LCpl Md Abdulla Al Mamun, Sgt Mohammad Ibrahim, Sgt Md Mobarak Hussain, LCl Md Saiful Islam, WO Md Saiful Imam Bhuiyan, SGT Md Ziaur Rahman, and Washerman Nurul AMIN.

Bangladesh is the largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It currently deploys more than 6,600 military and police personnel to the UN operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Mali, South Sudan, and the Western Sahara. 

In a message to mark the day, António Guterres said of the fallen peacekeepers, "Their service and sacrifices will never be forgotten."

He further said: "I express my deep gratitude to the 85,000 civilian, police and military personnel currently deployed in some of the world's most challenging hotspots to protect the vulnerable and help to build peace.

"Despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, as well as the risk of infection, these men and women have pursued their mission while also supporting local authorities in the fight against COVID-19. I offer sincere condolences to the families of peacekeepers who have fallen victim to this terrible disease."

The theme for this year's observance is "The road to a lasting peace: Leveraging the power of youth for peace and security."

Tens of thousands of young peacekeepers deployed around the world play a key role in helping UN missions implement their mandated activities, with the active participation of young people from host communities. 

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said: "We salute the dedication and bravery of our peacekeepers, who serve and perform admirably in challenging environments only compounded by the ongoing pandemic."