UNITED NATIONS: Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of the UN’s peacekeeping operations, paid respect to the “blue helmets” who had died on Friday and recognized Pakistan’s assistance with the global organization’s peacekeeping efforts.
Speaking at a photo exhibit called “Tribute to Fallen Peacekeepers & Pakistan’s Proactive Engagement and Constructive Contributions to UN Peacekeeping,” Under-Secretary-General Lacroix was honoring the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
The Pakistan Mission to the UN organized the exhibition, which was on display at UN Headquarters in New York from June 1 to June 9.
In his brief remarks, The UN peacekeeping chief lauded Pakistan’s contribution to peacekeeping missions and paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Welcoming the guests, including ambassadors, defense attaches, and UN officials, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, paid “the highest tribute” to all U.N. peacekeepers and other personnel who lost their lives in the service of the U.N.
Over the past 6-decade history of the United Nations peacekeepers, Ambassador Akram said 171 peacekeepers made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of international peace and security.
During the last year, eight Pakistani peacekeepers embraced martyrdom in a helicopter crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ambassador Akram expressed condolences to their families and commended their sacrifices.
He also praised the perseverance of Pakistani peacekeepers in preserving the values of the UN Charter and maintaining international peace and security. UN’s Military Adviser, General Birame Diop, and Police Advisor, Faisal Shahkar, also spoke on the occasion.
The UN General Assembly designated May 29 as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. This is the date when in 1948, the first UN peacekeeping mission named the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), began operations in Palestine.
Currently, Pakistani peacekeepers perform multidimensional mandates: from the protection of civilians to humanitarian assistance to infrastructure development. They continue to serve and facilitate some of the world’s most vulnerable communities by building roads, bridges, and public parks.
Female peacekeepers work as doctors, nurses, gender consultants, and officers in charge of vocational training, in addition to officers in charge of operations and logistics. Pakistan sent its first all-female community engagement team to the DRC in 2019. They put Numerous effective projects into place, including workshops on psychology for Congolese police and vocational training for students, teachers, and women. A total of 46 UN Missions around the world have employed more than 200,000 Pakistani men and women. —APP
