Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, UN Woman Police Officer of the Year and UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Awards Ceremony

Cheryl Pearce (right in front row), Deputy Military Adviser of the Office of Military Affairs of Department of Peace Operations, and Faisal Shahkar (left in front), United Nations Police Adviser, attend the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, UN Woman Police Officer of the Year and UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Awards Ceremony on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers 2025 (29 May). The UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award was awarded to Superintendent Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone, and the 2024 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award to Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana.

Observed under the theme "The Future of Peacekeeping" this year's International Day looks at the invaluable contributions military, police and civilian peacekeepers have made over the last nearly eight decades. It encapsulates the spirit of progress and collective action towards creating a more equal, just and sustainable world. Today, more than 68,000 civilians, military, and police personnel serve in 11 UN peacekeeping missions, confronting increasingly complex and interconnected challenges shaped by a shifting geopolitical landscape. Despite the challenges, peacekeepers remain steadfast in their pursuit of peace.