29th May 2022 18:02:11 Hours
The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, (29 May) pays tribute to the uniformed and civilian personnel’s invaluable contribution to the work of the Organization and to honour nearly 4,200 peacekeepers who have lost their lives serving under the UN flag since 1948, including 135 last year. The theme for this year’s day is “People. Peace. Progress. The Power of Partnerships.”
Ms Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, UN Resident Coordinator cum the representative of the UN Secretary-General in Sri Lanka in a twitter message pays her tribute to 4,200 heroes & heroines, including 11 Sri Lankans, who sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace. Here follows her tweet in full:
“On International #Peacekeepers Day we pay tribute to 4,200 heroes & heroines, including 11 Sri Lankans, who sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace. We salute Peacekeepers' dedication to helping societies turn away from conflict, towards a more peaceful & prosperous future.”
In the past couple of years, a total of 2 Sri Lankan Army peacekeepers laid their lives while serving in Mali. Among them were Major W.H.D Jayawickrema of Sri Lanka Light Infantry and Sergeant S.S Wijekumara of Mechanized Infantry Regiment.
The first UN peacekeeping mission was established on 29 May 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.
