H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of 75th session…

"On this day, the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, and every day,I pay tribute to the invaluable contribution of Peacekeepers to the work of UnitedNations. For over 70 years, more than one million men and women have served in 72operations. Their service has saved countless lives and helped millions more.Without them, the United Nations could not meet its primary objective: to upholdinternational peace and security and provide conditions for the realization ofhuman rights and sustainable development. Today, over 89,000 military, police and civilian personnel are deployed across 12operations. Tens of thousands of these Peacekeepers are young men and women,whose impact I would particularly like to highlight today. Young people play acritical role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. When their perspectivesare prioritized conflict prevention and resolution is more sustainable. Here at the UN's Headquarters in New York, we must ensure that we supportPeacekeepers to deliver on the mandates assigned to them. The safety andsecurity of our Uniformed Personal remains a matter of great concern,particularly in light of recent fatalities. I would like to conclude by paying tribute to the men and women of the UnitedNations who carry out their tasks to implement peacekeeping activities, a taskthat is even more challenging during the pandemic, as well as to thosePeacekeepers who have lost their lives in field operations, defending the UN flagand the cause of peace."