Flag-Raising Ceremony to Mark International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers

Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen
Dear Friends:

I thank you all for joining us at this annual commemoration with our friends from the Soldiers of Peace International Association to salute the courage, commitment and compassion of United Nations peacekeepers. We express our pride in their achievements to bring peace and development to some of our most vulnerable fellow human beings. We mourn the loss of 2,583 fearless and selfless peacekeepers who have paid the ultimate price in the service of others over the past 61 years. We vow to ensure that their sacrifice is never forgotten, and we promise to continue their work as the only true way to pay tribute to their memory.

Please join me in a minute of silence in their honour. Thank you.

Dear Friends:

The Blue Helmets represent our common humanity. Currently, more than 113,000 military and civilian personnel from 118 countries serve in 18 peace operations on five continents. They bring hope and help to communities and countries where despair and destruction have reigned for far too long.

United Nations peacekeeping is the cornerstone of the international response to conflict. Today’s peacekeepers find themselves in increasingly complex and demanding operations, often in situations where peace may be fragile at best. Peacekeeping missions provide security, support political transitions, help to reinforce state institutions and lay the foundation for a sustainable peace.

As the risk to and responsibilities of our peacekeepers expand, it is our collective duty to ensure that these brave women and men continue to have the resources and material necessary to fulfil the tasks that we ask of them. As the dangers and difficulties grow, it is our shared obligation to provide them with the security they need to carry out their mission on our behalf.

Today, we also express our gratitude to all troop and police contributing countries for their multilateral response and resolve. I appreciate that several representatives of these countries are with us today. They send their best women and men to serve in difficult and dangerous circumstances, often far from their own borders, because of their belief in the principles and objectives of the United Nations.

More than half of all United Nations Member States contribute troops and police to peacekeeping, often taking on new levels of responsibility. We hope that others will follow their example.

The unprecedented number of personnel currently deployed in United Nations peacekeeping missions is a vote of confidence in our peacekeepers. Every day, Blue Helmets around the world strive to honour this trust and meet the expectations placed on them. This ever-growing demand is, sadly, also a reflection of continuing instability and violent conflict. Today’s commemoration is therefore also an opportunity to highlight the need for stronger efforts towards conflict prevention, which is one of the Secretary-General’s priorities.

Dear Friends:

The strength of purpose, the passion and the perseverance of our peacekeepers inspire us all. Their determination to make a difference spurs us on. They serve the cause of peace with dedication and distinction. Today, we recommit ourselves to ensuring that their vital work will continue as long as it is needed – and we reaffirm our collective commitment to building a world free from the scourge of war.

Thank you very much.