International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is celebrated annually on 29 May and it helps countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. On this day we pay tribute to the uniformed and civilians personnel’s invaluable contribution to the work of the organisation, and honour more than 4,200 peacekeepers who have lost their lives serving under the United Nations flag.

Since 1948, more than 1 million women and men have served in 72 United Nations peacekeeping operations, directly impacting the lives of millions of people and saving countless lives. Today, United Nations Peacekeeping deploys more than 87,000 military, police and civilian personnel in 12 operations. Even though the challenges and threats faced by the peacekeepers are even greater than ever, they continue to support and protect the people in the countries they are based in, despite the risks.

The theme for this year’s International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is ‘People Peace Progress: The Power of Partnerships.’. It is partnerships with Member States, civil society, non-governmental organizations, United Nations 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.

Tens of thousands of young peacekeepers (between the ages of 18 and 29 years) are deployed around the world and play a major role in helping the implement their mandated activities including the protection of civilians. In addition, United Nations peace operations, in line with a series of Security Council resolutions (2250, 2419 and 2535), are increasing their collaboration with youth and youth groups to help build sustainable peace and implement their mandates on the ground.

We, at the World Assembly of Youth (WAY), recognise this legacy of service and sacrifice around the world. We have organised several events on peace and development with the aim to promote a peaceful and inclusive society in the minds of young people. We believe that young people have a crucial role to play in establishing a culture of peace for promoting and maintaining development, sustainability, and prosperity in the world. They are the agents of change in building a just and peaceful world for all.