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 ocean is the foundation of life. It supplies the air we breathe and food we eat. It regulates our climate and weather. The ocean is our planet’s greatest reservoir of biodiversity. Its resources sustain communities, prosperity and human health around the world. Humanity counts on the ocean. But can the ocean count on us?" — António Guterres
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have launched a new database listing current and past projects from space agencies in support of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) have announced their collaboration under the Space Law for New Space Actors project.
The Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, will brief the media following an Executive Briefing to Member States at the Vienna International Centre. Mr Lazzarini will share updates on the challenges faced in UNRWA’s five fields of operations, including the impact of recurrent financial constraints on the lives of Palestine refugees.
