United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated that more than half of the personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty were serving in Gaza, emphasizing, “These tragedies affect us all deeply and should shake the conscience of the world.”
Guterres explicitly stated, “Let me be clear. UN personnel must never be targeted. Attacks against peacekeepers and humanitarian workers are a violation of international law, including international humanitarian law.”
Just last week, a UNIFIL peacekeeper lost his life in Lebanon. This marks the seventh peacekeeper to die since the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces began in March.
“From Different Backgrounds, United by a Common Purpose”
Among the women and men honored at UN Headquarters were 97 civilian personnel from 32 countries and 39 uniformed military and police peacekeepers. Guterres noted that these individuals, “though from different backgrounds, were united by a common purpose.”
The UN chief added, “We remember these personnel for their work.”
Guterres elaborated, “They were teachers educating children, health workers healing the sick and wounded, drivers delivering aid, and so much more.”
“More Than Half of Those Who Died Were From Gaza”
Guterres revealed that 80 of the deceased were staff members of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in Gaza. He highlighted that the UN’s losses in Gaza exceed those in any other conflict or disaster in the organization’s history.
He stated, “Some died at home with their families or in shelters. Others were killed while performing their duties, in their offices, in shelters, and in the communities they served.”
Peacekeepers serving in missions across the globe, including in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), and South Sudan (UNMISS), were also remembered.
“You Made Our World a Better Place”
At a time when multilateralism is under attack and powerful forces “want to make us believe that the United Nations – that unity itself – is a fiction,” Guterres declared, “The people we commemorate today prove otherwise. You made our world a better place.”
During the commemoration ceremony, a candle representing an eternal flame was lit, and a moment of silence was observed alongside the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council. UN officials then read the names of the deceased, accompanied by a violin virtuoso.
The UN Secretary-General has held an annual commemoration ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York since 2011. The ceremony honored 168 UN personnel and peacekeepers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2024, and 188 individuals in 2023.
