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.
* *** *
Transnational organized crime in the Sahel represents a major obstacle to peace and security, human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a new UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, Impact of Transnational Organized Crime on Stability and Development in the Sahel.
The biggest street art in Vienna has been inaugurated today at a special ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in the city, with representatives of Host Country, City of Vienna, 22nd municipal district, the United Nations and the Calle Libre Street Art Festival as well as the artist himself, Fintan Magee.
Marking its 20th anniversary, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) invites the 79 million people living in the 14 Danube countries to take part in this year’s Danube Day celebration and outdoor events.
The UNCITRAL/UNIDROIT Model Law on Warehouse Receipts was adopted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) at its 57th session in New York.