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28/05/2019
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The United Nations Secretary General, Mr António Guterres speaking at a moving ceremony to commemorate International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, said that United Nations peacekeeping is a vital investment in global peace and security; it requires strong international commitment; and the UN has a deep obligation to make peace operations as safe as possible.
The United Nations commemorated International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers at the UN Headquarters in New York, on Friday 24th of May 2019. The day commemorates UN Peacekeepers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace.
The commemoration day started with a wreath laying by the UN Secretary General, Mr António Guterres at the Peacekeeping Memorial site. It was followed by the presentations of the Dag Hammarskjöld Medals by the UN Secretary General, to Troop and Police Contributing Countries. These medals honor and commemorate the 119 United Nations peacekeepers; military, police and civilians who lost their lives between 2017 and 2018.
The UN Dag Hammarskjold medal is named after the second Secretary General of the United Nations who tragically died in a plane crash in 1961. The Fiji Mission in New York was represented by Permanent Representative Ambassador Dr. Satyendra Prasad and the Military and Police Adviser, Colonel Sapenafa Motufaga.
Ambassador Prasad received the Dag Hammarskjold medals on behalf of the families of the late Sergeant Savenaca Bulivakacegu, Staff Sergeant Penieli Racolo and Warrant Officer Class 2 Semiti Korovavala. These Fijian Peacekeepers died, whilst serving with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria, between 2015 and 2017.
The Secretary General in his address said that, the International Peacekeepers Day was to, “honour more than 1 million men and women who have served as United Nations peacekeepers since our first mission in 1948.” More than 3,800 peacekeepers have died since the first peacekeeping mission in 1948. He further stated that, “we express our deepest gratitude to the 100,000 civilian, police and military peacekeepers deployed around the world today, and to the countries that contribute these brave and dedicated women and men.”
The Secretary-general said, the UN marks 20 years this year, since the Security Council first mandated a peacekeeping mission to protect civilians. This was the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) in 1999. He further noted that peacekeepers protect men, women and children from violence every day, often at great personal risk and that the UN was deeply grateful for that service.
The ceremony was attended by UN Officials, Permanent Representatives of member states and their Military and Police Advisers.
Ambassador Prasad said that “in the life of a Permanent Representative at the UN, this Day was the most difficult and emotionally moving one. Fijian peacekeepers serve in some of the most difficult regions of the world. Fiji and the UN is deeply grateful to the families of the late Racolo, Bulivakacegu and Korovavala for their service to the most noblest of UN goals – securing and maintaining peace”.
