UN honours blue helmets, calls for investment in peace; Pakistan reaffirms it's support

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th May, 2026) UN chief Antonio Guterres is calling for greater political backing and reliable financial support for ‘blue helmets’ who put themselves in harm’s way in the world's hotspots to promote international peace and security.

More than 50,000 civilian, military and police personnel from around the world, including Pakistan, currently serve under the UN flag across 11 missions, tackling challenges ranging from ceasefire monitoring and humanitarian assistance to landmine clearance and civilian protection.

They are operating in increasingly fragmented conflicts shaped by emerging threats, including the misuse of digital technologies and the spread of misinformation.

This year’s observance of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers – which falls on 29 May, the anniversary of the first UN peacekeeping mission in 1948 – is centred on the theme “Invest in Peace,” highlighting the urgent need for sustained political and financial support for peacekeeping.

In a message marking the Day, Guterres described UN peacekeeping as a proven and cost-effective tool for stabilising conflict situations, protecting civilians and supporting political solutions.

He paid tribute to the nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have died since 1948, including 59 over the past year, stressing that attacks against them constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law.

The UN chief emphasized that peacekeeping requires reliable backing from the international community, warning that reduced resources risk undermining its effectiveness at a time when conflicts are becoming increasingly complex and protracted.

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“United Nations peacekeepers continue to protect civilians, prevent violence from escalating and keep hope alive in some of the world’s most difficult environments,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. He added that investing in peacekeeping is ultimately an investment in stability and the possibility of lasting peace.

In Islamabad, President Asif Ali Zardari, in a statement, highlighted that Pakistan was host to one of the oldest UN peacekeeping missions, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)

“The continued presence and relevance of this Mission reaffirm the responsibility of the international community to support a just and lasting resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” he added.

Pakistan is among the largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It currently deploys more than 2,100 military and police personnel – including 134 women -- to the UN operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, South Sudan, and Western Sahara.

One hundred and seventy two Pakistani peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag in different parts of the world since the UN peacekeeping operations began.

Meanwhile the UN announced that on 5 June, the UN Secretary-General will honour two peacekeepers with the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage, UN Peacekeeping’s highest award.

The ceremony will be held at UN Headquarters in New York.

The two awadees are: Sergii Prykhodko, Ukraine and Sergeant Matias Reyes, Uruguay.