UN chief Kofi Annan praises peacekeepers' role

United Nations, May 30: International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers was observed acrose the world yesterday as observances were held to honour those serving in UN operations while paying tribute to the memory of those who lost their lives for the cause of peace.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his message, said more peacekeepers died in the service of the UN in 2005 than in any other year in the past decade, with 124 peacekeepers from 46 countries losing their lives to violence, disease and accidents.

At least five peacekeepers from India were killed. So far this year, altogether 32 UN peacekeepers died while performing duties.

The 2006 toll included eight Guatemalans who died while striving to bring peace to the troubled eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At the same time, the number of peacekeepers exposed to risk has increased exponentially. More than 72,000 uniformed personnel and 15,000 civilians now serve in 18 peace operations administered by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, making the United Nations the largest multilateral contributor to post-conflict stabilisation.

''The demand for United Nations peacekeeping reflects growing confidence in the organisation's ability to calm tensions and restore stability,'' Mr Annan said, noting that 108 countries now contribute uniformed personnel, including a 71-nation mission in the Sudan -- the most diverse coalition ever assembled.

General Assembly President Jan Eliasson of Sweden said that over the decades of UN peacekeeping, ''countless lives have been saved thanks to the bravery'' of UN personnel.

He said, ''Invariably, the presence of blue helmets has eased tensions, spurred progress and sent an important signal to the affected populations that the United Nations supports their efforts to restore peace in their country.'' ''Even as we mourn our fallen colleagues, we are all uplifted by their unflinching commitment and are inspired to strive even harder for the collective cause so eloquently envisaged in the UN Charter: a world free from the scourge of war,'' Mr Eliasson added.

Among the events held to mark the Day, the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) organised a solemn wreath-laying ceremony with the participation of Liberian Vice President Joseph Boakai and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Alan Doss. Wielding a broom himself at a high school in Monrovia, Mr Doss encouraged Liberians to play an active role in the recovery and development of their country. ''Liberians have a collective and individual responsibility to keep their city clean and contribute towards the development of the country in every way possible,'' he was quoted as saying in a report received at UN headquarters.

Meanwhile in Vienna, a formal military ceremony signaled the beginning of the event attended by the Austrian Chief of Defence Staff, General Roland Ertl, and a contingent of some 40 peacekeepers from the Austrian Armed Forces who are about to go on mission to the UN Disengagement Force (UNDOF) on the Golan Heights.

According to another report, commemorative medals from the UN Association of Austria were also presented to Austrian peacekeepers by the Vice-President of the UN Association of Austria and former Foreign Minister, Willibald Pahr, along with General Ertl and the President of the Austrian Blue Helmets Association, General Greindl.

UN Peacekeepers' Day was established in 2002, when the General Assembly adopted a resolution.

The day will be commemorated tomorrow at UN headquarters, because yesterday was an official holiday. Among the activities, medals will be awarded posthumously to military, police and civilian personnel (both international and national staff) who lost their lives serving in UN peacekeeping operations.

UNI