International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers

Ladies and Gentlemen
Dear Friends:


It is a privilege to welcome you all to the Palais des Nations. Today, we honour the thousands of colleagues who currently serve, or have served, as United Nations peacekeepers. We pay tribute to their courage in dangerous and complex circumstances, and we salute their commitment to the values and principles of the United Nations. We pay our respects to those who have given their lives for the cause of peace.

The demand for United Nations peacekeeping continues to increase. Over the past year, the Security Council has established new missions in Haiti, Burundi and Cote d’Ivoire and further expanded the mandate of the mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A large operation is currently being deployed in Sudan. Over 82,000 military and civilian personnel serve in the 17 current missions. The surge in number reflects the world’s confidence in and respect for the unique contribution of United Nations peacekeeping to the maintenance of international peace and stability.

The past year has also seen the completion of the mission in Timor-Leste, while the mission in Sierra Leone is winding down after successful implementation of their mandates. This demonstrates to both the local populations and the international community that peacekeeping, in the longer term, can help set countries on a path towards sustainable peace and democratic governance. Yet, we need to ensure that, once missions have come to an end, we continue to support countries and people who have emerged from violent conflict. That is why the Secretary-General in his report entitled “In Larger Freedom” has proposed the establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission. This body would help ensure that, in the longer term, peace agreements are implemented in a sustained and sustainable manner to prevent countries from lapsing back into violence.

At the same time, we need to ensure that our immediate peacekeeping capabilities and resources match the needs and expectations of those that we strive to assist. In this regard, the Secretary-General, in the “In Larger Freedom” report, has called for Member States to create strategic reserves for United Nations peacekeeping, support the efforts of regional organizations to establish stand-by capacities as part of an interlocking system of peacekeeping capacities, and establish a police standby capacity. The Secretary-General has also released a comprehensive package of reforms to prevent misconduct and enforce United Nations standards of conduct. The Secretary-General and the United Nations are committed to stamping out abuse to protect the people we serve and safeguard the integrity of all peacekeepers.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends:

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is not only an occasion to express our gratitude to individual peacekeepers for their personal sacrifice and achievements. It also provides an opportunity to thank the 103 countries that currently contribute uniformed personnel to peacekeeping missions and to encourage others to follow their example, including those countries that have particular capacities that could help meet some of the specific needs of peacekeeping.

I should like to thank the Soldiers of Peace International Association for their contribution to our commemoration here today. We appreciate your involvement with this important annual event. I believe that the turnout of peacekeepers here today and the work of your association demonstrate our peacekeepers’ continued commitment to and support for the efforts of the United Nations – even after the completion of active duty.

Vulnerable people, caught in violence and instability, rely on this strong commitment, and, every day, peacekeepers, across the globe, honour the trust placed in them. Today, we honour you and your contributions to making the world a safer place for all.

Thank you very much.