An Indian peacekeeper who lost his life serving under the UN flag will receive a prestigious medal posthumously for his sacrifice. Naik Dhananjay Kumar Singh, who served with the UN Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), is among over 60 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers to be honored with the Dag Hammarskjold medal. The ceremony will take place on May 30 as part of the UN's International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
India, the second largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping, currently deploys over 6,000 military and police personnel to missions across the globe. Almost 180 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, the highest number from any troop-contributing country.
During the ceremonies at the United Nations Headquarters on May 30, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will pay tribute to all UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948. He will lay a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site and award the Dag Hammarskjold Medals posthumously to 64 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers, including 61 who died last year.
In his message for Peacekeepers' Day, Guterres praised the dedication and bravery of the over 76,000 United Nations peacekeepers, who work tirelessly in dangerous and unstable regions worldwide to protect civilians, uphold human rights, support elections, and strengthen institutions. He noted that more than 4,300 peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag.
Since 1948, over two million peacekeepers from 125 countries have served in 71 UN operations globally. Currently, about 76,000 peacekeepers are deployed in 11 conflict zones across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
The theme for the 2024 International Day of UN Peacekeepers is 'Fit for the future, building better together'. This theme underscores the importance of UN Peacekeeping as a solution to conflicts and outlines the Secretary-General's New Agenda for Peace policy brief to enhance multilateral peace and security operations.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, highlighted the significance of UN Peacekeeping as a global partnership that makes a meaningful impact on millions of lives in some of the world's most challenging regions. He emphasized the evolution of peacekeeping to be responsive and fit-for-purpose in addressing future crises and conflicts.
Established by the UN General Assembly in 2002, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, marked on May 29, pays tribute to all individuals serving in peacekeeping and honors those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of peace.
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