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STORY: UN / INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPERS DAY
TRT: 02:26
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: UNIFEED
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 24 MAY 2017, NEW YORK CITY / RECENT
1. Pan left, exterior, UN headquarters
2. Med shot, peacekeeper standing by memorial and wreath
3. Wide shot, Secretary-General at the podium
4. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Our mission for peace will never succeed without courageous people willing to put their lives on the line and we owe you an enormous debt. Today we remember not only our uniformed personnel, but civilian peacekeepers who have fallen, international civil servants, national staff members and UN Volunteers. Our missions would not function without their work, and we honour their sacrifice.”
5. Various shots, Guterres in front of wreath
6. Wide shot, press conference
7. Med shot, press
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations:
“We cannot succeed if we don’t work in close partnership with the stakeholders, regional countries, regional, sub-regional organizations, partners such as the European Union, Canada, and others. Everywhere we succeed, we succeed because we have a solid and efficient partnership. In addition to that there are situations where peacekeeping is not the adequate response. Therefore regional organizations are better equipped to do peace enforcement or counter-terrorism.”
9. Med shot, press
10. Various shots, medal ceremony
Ahead of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers marked on 29 May, the Organization today (24 May) held ceremonies to pay tribute to the more than 3,500 people who have died on duty since 1948 and acknowledged the dedication and courage of those serving on the ground.
At the UN Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres presided over a wreath-laying ceremony in honour of all peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving under the UN flag.
The Secretary-General underscored the sacrifices made by the more than 3,500 peacekeepers who have given their lives in the service of peace since 1948.
He said, “Our mission for peace will never succeed without courageous people willing to put their lives on the line and we owe you an enormous debt.”
Guterres remembered “not only our uniformed personnel, but civilian peacekeepers who have fallen, international civil servants, national staff members and UN Volunteers.”
Peacekeeping missions, he said, “would not function without their work, and we honour their sacrifice.”
117 military, police and civilian peacekeepers from 43 countries died in service during 2016.
At a press conference also marking the day, peacekeeping Chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, highlighted the importance of partnerships in peacekeeping.
Lacroix said “we cannot succeed if we don’t work in close partnership with the stakeholders, regional countries, regional, sub-regional organizations, partners such as the European Union, Canada, and others.
“Everywhere we succeed,” he said “we succeed because we have a solid and efficient partnership.”
On 29 May in 1948, the first UN peacekeeping mission began operations in Palestine. In 2002, the UN General Assembly designated 29 May as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
Also today, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal was awarded posthumously to the peacekeepers who have fallen while serving in the cause of peace, during the preceding year.
