UN pays tribute to peacekeepers

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has paid tribute to all the men and women serving as UN peacekeepers, noting their “work is a source of pride for the United Nations every day of the year”.

In a message on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Ban said that “today, members of the UN family around the world join together to commemorate our colleagues who gave their lives in the cause of peace last year. In 2006, for the fourth year in a row, more than 100 peacekeepers lost their lives. This brings home to us the risks that our colleagues in peacekeeping undertake on behalf of the international community to provide peace, security and hope to hundreds of millions of people”.

He noted that “as we mourn those we have lost, we pay tribute to the professionalism, dedication and courage of those who are carrying on the proud legacy of our fallen comrades in 18 peace operations on four continents”.

The Secretary General said that last year, for the first time, more than 100,000 peacekeepers were deployed by the United Nations. One hundred and fifteen countries now contribute uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations. “Both of these figures are at an all-time high. They speak of unprecedented confidence in – and expectations of – UN peacekeeping”, he underlined in his message.

The Secretary General paid tribute to the contributions being made by the individual soldiers, police, electoral experts, child protection officers and others who staff the missions.

“Peacekeepers ensure that refugees and displaced persons can return to their homes; that ex-combatants are disarmed and reintegrated into society; that children are taken off the battlefield and sent to school; that people exercise their right to vote in democratic elections; that individuals human rights are protected, not violated, by police forces and judicial systems; and that fields and forests are de-mined so that they can be used to sustain life instead of trigger death”, Ban stated in his message.

Noting his pride of the peacekeepers’ achievements, he stressed “we cannot rest on our laurels. We must find ways to ensure we are equipped to meet the challenges ahead. That is why I have proposed a bold package to restructure and strengthen our capacity”.

He also said that he will continue visiting, “the conflict-ravaged countries where our blue helmets proudly serve. I ask that the Security Council always give peacekeepers the mandate and tools they need to do their jobs. I ask troop-contributing countries to sustain their support”.

The UN peace-keeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is one of the longest serving forces. It arrived on the island in March 1964 after inter-communal fighting broke out.

As at September 2005, 868 military personnel from 12 different countries currently work alongside 69 police officers and 150 locally and internationally-recruited civilians, according to UNFICYP website.