UN Mourns 59 Peacekeepers Killed Last Year

Fifty-nine United Nations peacekeepers killed in service last year were honoured as the UN marked the International Day of Peacekeepers at its headquarters in New York.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal to 68 peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice, including the 59 personnel who died in 2025.

The Secretary-General said the fallen peacekeepers came from 33 countries, describing them as “diverse in background but united in the cause of peace.”

Speaking at the ceremony after laying a wreath at the Peacekeeping Memorial, Guterres said UN peacekeeping remains one of the international community’s most effective responses to conflict.

He noted that more than 50,000 peacekeepers are currently deployed across the world, working to curb violence, support political solutions, deliver humanitarian aid and clear landmines in conflict zones.

The Secretary-General also presented the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage to Uruguay’s Sergeant Matias Reyes and posthumously to Ukraine’s Sergii Prykhodko for acts of exceptional bravery during UN missions.

Awards were also given to India’s Major Abhilasha Barak, named Military Gender Advocate of the Year, and Germany’s Stephanie Königs, who received the UN Woman Police Officer of the Year award.

This year’s observance is being held under the theme “Invest in Peace.” UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said investing in peacekeeping is essential for stability and conflict prevention, warning that the cost of inaction is far higher than prevention. (UNTV)