(The Gist of PIB) International Day of UN Peacekeepers being observed [JUNE-2019]

International Day of UN Peacekeepers being observed

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is being observed today.
The objective is to pay tribute to the invaluable contribution by the uniformed and civilian personnel and to honour more than 3,800 peacekeepers who have lost their lives while rendering peacekeeping services.

The theme this year is “Protecting Civilians, Protecting Peace”.
In a message on the occasion, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said peacekeeping is a necessity and a hope for millions in conflict-affected situations around the world.
He called on UN member States to work together to make peacekeeping more effective in protecting people and advancing peace.
Over the past 20 years, protection of civilians has increasingly been at the heart of UN peacekeeping.
The first UN peacekeeping mission was established on 29th May 1948, when the Security Council authorized the deployment of a small number of UN military observers to the Middle East.

Since then, more than one million men and women have served in 72 UN peacekeeping operations, directly impacting the lives of millions of people, protecting the world’s most vulnerable and saving countless lives. India is the 4th largest troop contributor to the UN peacekeeping missions.
UN peacekeeping has helped countries move from war to peace. At present, India contributes about 6,400 peacekeepers to various missions across the world.
The country has the largest percentage of women in the police force, at around 32 per cent, contribution to the future of peacekeeping.