UNITED NATIONS: The UN family gathered on Wednesday to honour the 77 staff members including seven from Pakistan who died while working for the Organization in 2022.
At the mournful event, conducted in the famous Trusteeship Council chamber at UN Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked, “We are here to remember together, to mourn together, and to pay our respects together.” The event was watched live and online by family members of the deceased individuals and representatives from the diplomatic corps and the U.N.
Dr. Mariam Aamir, the martyred Major Faizan Ali’s wife, attended the sorrowful ceremony, the martyred Major Faizan Ali’s wife. He was a Pakistani peacekeeper who perished in a chopper accident in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Col. Umar Shafiq Chughtai, the Pakistan Mission in New York’s military advisor, and Munir Akram, Pakistan’s U.N. Ambassador. The Secretary-General, U.N. General Assembly President Csaba Korösi, and July Security Council President Ambassador Barbara Woodward of the United Kingdom ignited a candle to symbolize an eternal flame to begin the ceremony.
The head of the U.N. requested a moment of silence “for all our dear, dear colleagues that have given their lives for others to be able to live.” During the ceremony, the names of the 77 police, military, and civilian personnel who lost their lives while assisting the Organization last year were read.
According to Guterres, these men and women originated from 36 different nations and were coworkers and friends. He noted, “Their service embodied the principle and the promise of the United Nations: the principle of our common humanity and the promise to act on it, to cooperate to overcome common obstacles and create a world of peace, prosperity, and human rights for all.”
The Secretary-General emphasized how U.N. employees, such as peacekeepers and humanitarian relief workers, consistently strive in challenging situations to bring the noble vision to life every day. However, he noted that everyone we honor today dedicated themselves to helping others, regardless of their position or the situation. Their tenacity protected people in need, their daring saved lives, and their knowledge contributed to creating a better world now and in the future.
According to Guterres, the vision and principles symbolized by the United Nations flag are more crucial than ever in today’s divided and dangerous world.
The names of Pakistani peacekeepers read out were: Major Faizan Ali, Lt. Col Asif Ali Awan, Havildar Muhammad Ismail, Lance Havildar Muhammad Jamil Khan, Naib Subedar Sami Ullah Khan, and Major Muhammad Saad Nomani, the six who were martyred on March 29 2022 while serving with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) when their helicopter crashed.
In addition, on September 30, 2022, suspected members of the Twirwaneho armed group attacked the MONUSCO operational facility in Minembwe, South Kivu, and killed Pakistani peacekeeper Babar Siddique. Dr. Mariam Aamir met with the Secretary-General and other dignitaries at the event while speaking on behalf of the families of Pakistani peacekeepers who had died in the line of duty. She thanked the head of the U.N. for remembering and honoring the slain peacekeepers and promised that Pakistan would continue to support efforts for global security and peace. She also met other Mission staff members and Ambassador Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the U.N. —APP
