UNIS/SGSM/1315
25 May 2023
United Nations peacekeepers are the beating heart of our commitment to a more peaceful world. For 75 years, they have supported people and communities rocked by conflict and upheaval across the globe.
Today, on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, we honour their extraordinary contributions to international peace and security.
Since 1948, more than two million peacekeepers have served in 71 missions, helping countries navigate the difficult path from war to peace.
They are also critical to the protection of civilians caught up in the chaos of these deadly conflicts, providing a lifeline of hope and help in some of the most dangerous contexts imaginable.
In carrying out this essential work, many peacekeepers have paid the ultimate price. More than 4,200 peacekeepers have lost their lives serving under the UN flag. We stand in sympathy and solidarity with their families, friends and colleagues, and will forever be inspired by their selfless devotion to the cause of peace.
Today, more than 87,000 peacekeepers from 125 countries serve in 12 operations. They face rising global tensions and divides, stagnating peace processes, and more complex conflicts.
Despite these obstacles, and working with a wide range of partners, peacekeepers persevere.
To people living under the shadow of conflict, our teams of Blue Helmets represent hope.
As peacekeepers support humanity, let us always support and recognize them.
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The UN Convention against Cybercrime aims to prevent and combat cybercrime more efficiently and effectively, including by strengthening international cooperation and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building support, particularly for developing countries.
I welcome the landmark adoption of a new international convention on cybercrime by the United Nations General Assembly. This remarkable step represents the first UN international legal instrument on crime-related issues in over 20 years, and it comes at exactly the right time.
"On this International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, I call on countries to heed the lessons of past health emergencies to help prepare for the next." — António Guterres
The new Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations (Vienna), Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei-Agyeman, presented her credentials today to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), Ghada Waly.
