Two Indian peacekeepers, who misplaced their lives whereas serving underneath the UN flag final 12 months, have been honoured posthumously by the United Nations on Worldwide Day of UN Peacekeepers.
Brigadier Normal Amitabh Jha, who served with the UN Disengagement Observer Power (UNDOF), and Havildar Sanjay Singh, who was deployed with the UN Stabilisation Mission within the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), have been honoured with the Dag Hammarskjold medal at a solemn ceremony right here on Thursday on the event of Worldwide Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
India’s Everlasting Consultant to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish obtained the Dag Hammarskjold Medal on behalf of the households of fallen Indian Peacekeepers from UN Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres on the solemn ceremony within the UN headquarters.
“The departed peacekeepers remind us of the sacrifices made for the larger and collective good of humanity. Blue Helmets proceed to be the face of the United Nations in crises all around the world, bringing peace and reassurance to these most critically affected. UN Peacekeeping is true multilateralism in motion,” the Everlasting Mission of India to the UN stated in a publish on X.
India additionally “remembered late Brigadier Amitabh Jha (UNDOF), Havildar Sanjay Singh (MONUSCO) & Col (Retd.) Waibhav Anil Kale whom we misplaced final 12 months.” India is the 4th largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It at the moment deploys greater than 5,300 navy and police personnel to the UN peace operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Somalia, South Sudan, and Western Sahara.
Guterres laid a wreath to honour the greater than 4,400 UN peacekeepers who’ve misplaced their lives since 1948.
He then presided over the solemn ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medals have been awarded posthumously to 57 navy, police, and civilian peacekeepers, who misplaced their lives serving underneath the UN flag final 12 months.
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The Secretary-Normal additionally offered awards to the 2024 Navy Gender Advocate of the Yr Squadron Chief Sharon Mwinsote Syme from Ghana and the UN Girl Police Officer of the Yr award to Superintendent Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone.
Each of them serve with the United Nations Interim Safety Power in Abyei (UNISFA).
Final 12 months, Main Radhika Sen, who served with the United Nations Group Stabilisation Mission within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), obtained the distinguished ‘2023 United Nations Navy Gender Advocate of the Yr Award’ from Guterres.
The theme for this 12 months’s Worldwide Day of UN Peacekeepers is the ‘Way forward for Peacekeeping’, which emphasises that the ‘Pact for the Future’ – adopted by world leaders in September final 12 months – features a dedication to adapt peacekeeping to the altering world, the discharge added.
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In his message for the Day, Guterres stated that “at present, peacekeepers face more and more complicated conditions in an more and more complicated world… Now greater than ever, the world wants the United Nations — and the United Nations wants peacekeeping that’s absolutely outfitted for at present’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges.” Honouring the service of the peacekeepers, Guterres stated, “We draw inspiration from their resilience, dedication and braveness. And we keep in mind all of the courageous ladies and men who made the final word sacrifice for peace. We’ll always remember them – and we’ll carry their work ahead.” Underneath-Secretary-Normal for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix stated in his message that peacekeeping personnel are “our most necessary functionality. The sacrifices made by our peacekeepers name for greater than remembrance; they demand motion.” “All through its historical past, peacekeeping has at all times tailored to ever-changing contexts to realize outcomes. The way forward for peacekeeping hinges on our collective dedication to proceed to adapt and make investments—so we will proceed delivering hope and safety the place it’s wanted most,” he added.
The Worldwide Day of UN Peacekeepers was established by the UN Normal Meeting in 2002 to pay tribute to all women and men serving in peacekeeping, and to honour the reminiscence of those that have misplaced their lives in the reason for peace.
In 1948, the choice was made to deploy navy observers to the Center East to oversee the implementation of Israel-Arab Armistice Agreements, in what grew to become the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation.
Since then, greater than two million peacekeepers have served in 71 operations globally.
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As we speak, about 68,000 ladies and men function navy, police and civilian personnel in 11 battle zones throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Center East and 119 nations at the moment contribute uniformed personnel.