New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Sunday honoured the memory of those who have made the supreme sacrifice in the cause of peace on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
“On the International Day of @UN Peacekeepers, salute the courage and dedication of the brave men and women who carry out @UNPeacekeeping around the world. Honor especially the memory of those who have made the supreme sacrifice in the cause of peace,” he tweeted.
The International Day of UN Peacekeepers is an opportunity to recognize the service and sacrifice of the more than one million personnel, who have served under the blue flag since 1948.
It is also a chance to honour the memory of the more than 4,000 peacekeepers, who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.
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First UN Peacekeeping Mission:
The first UN peacekeeping mission was established on May 29, 1948, when the Security Council authorized the deployment of a small number of UN military observers to the Middle East to form the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
Since then, more than one million women and men have served in 72 UN peacekeeping operations, directly impacting the lives of millions of people and saving countless lives.
Presently, the UN Peacekeeping deploys more than 87,000 military, police and civilian personnel in 12 operations.
“Peacekeeping has helped save countless lives and brought peace and stability to many countries over the decades. But UN peacekeeping cannot fully succeed on its own in creating the necessary conditions to end conflict and secure lasting political solutions,” the United Nations said on its official website.
“It’s partnerships with Member States, civil society, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies and other parties are fundamental to bringing tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary people, in areas such as economic development, the rule of law, women’s rights, human rights, health and education,” the United Nations added.