51³Ô¹Ï

2024 UN Peacekeepers Day banner - ¡°Fit for the future, building better together¡±
The 2024 theme 'Fit for the future, building better together' encapsulates the spirit of progress and collective action towards creating a world that is more equitable, just, and sustainable for all.
Photo:UN

Fit for the future, building better together

For 76 years, 51³Ô¹Ï peacekeepers have worked to save and change lives in the world¡¯s most fragile political and security situations. Since 1948, more than two million uniformed and civilian personnel have helped countries to transition from war to peace. Today, more than 70,000 peacekeepers serve in deployed in hotspots around the world.

Observed under the theme ¡°Fit for the future, building better together,¡± this year¡¯s International Day looks at the invaluable contributions military, police and civilian peacekeepers have made over the last seven decades. It encapsulates the spirit of progress and collective action towards creating a more equal, just and sustainable world.

Over the years, peacekeeping has evolved to adapt to the changing political landscape and nature of conflicts which have become more complex and interconnected. With support from UN member countries, it continues to advance the path set forth in the UN Secretary-General¡¯s New Agenda for Peace which calls for a more robust, holistic and collective response to the security threats of today and tomorrow.

Despite the challenges, peacekeepers persevere, alongside many partners, in the collective pursuit of peace. The International Day pays tribute to the service and sacrifice of peacekeepers and the resilience of the communities that they serve. It honours the more than who have lost their lives serving for peace.

This campaign also calls on each of us to join the global movement for peace. Alone, we can never succeed. But, together, we can be a strong force for change.

Peace Begins with Me Campaign

Join the global movement for peace. Show your support for peacekeepers, community leaders, activists and many others committed to making the world more secure, inspiring us all to take action for peace. Visit the for more information.

Events

To mark the International Day at UN Headquarters, the UN Secretary-General will lay a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial in honour of fallen peacekeepers at 9:45 a.m. ET on Thursday, 30 May 2024.

Following that, at 10 a.m. ET, he will preside over an in-person ceremony at which the will be awarded posthumously to fallen peacekeepers. He will also present the award.

The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will be the guest at the noon briefing on 30 May. All events can be followed live on .

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UN Peacekeeping helps countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. We have unique strengths, including legitimacy, burden sharing, and an ability to deploy troops and police from around the world, integrating them with civilian peacekeepers to address a range of mandates set by the UN Security Council and General Assembly.

 

MINUSMA Search and Detect Team Surveys Road in Mali

¡°To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war" are among the first very words of the UN Charter (in its Preamble), and those words were the main motivation for creating the 51³Ô¹Ï, whose founders had lived through the devastation of two world wars by 1945. Since the UN's creation on 24 October 1945 (the date its Charter came into force), the 51³Ô¹Ï has often been called upon to prevent disputes from escalating into war, or to help restore peace following the outbreak of armed conflict, and to promote lasting peace in societies emerging from wars.

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International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the 51³Ô¹Ï, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.