International Day of UN Peacekeepers

29 May 2015

This is a past event

The "International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers", May 29, is a day to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in United Nations peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication, and courage and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

Since its beginning in 1948, United Nations peacekeeping has evolved into one of the main tools used by the international community to manage complex crises that threaten international peace and security.

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, which is commemorated each year on the 29th of May, is an occasion to salute the more than 111,000 peacekeepers serving in 15 missions in some of the world's most volatile and dangerous environments. This Day is also a time to mourn fallen peacekeepers. During its history, more than 3,100 "Blue Helmets" have died devoting their lives to peace, including 111 men and women in 2012.

UN Peacekeeping continues to develop innovative ways to rapidly deploy and support operations to ensure that we get the job done in the most challenging conditions and that we do this in an efficient and cost-effective way.

More than ever, UN Peacekeeping is a flexible tool. UN Peacekeeping works. Currently, UN Peacekeeping operations receive contributions of military and police personnel from 116 Member States. This impressive number reflects strong global confidence in the value of United Nations Peacekeeping as a tool for collective security.

To mark the Day at UN Headquarters, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at 10:00 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., the Secretary-General will preside over a ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal will be awarded posthumously to the military, police and civilian personnel who lost their lives while serving in peacekeeping operations in 2011. The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Herve Ladsous, will hold a press conference at 12:00.

For more information:

Venue: Various, United Nations