The 29th of May is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, when we honour military and civilian personnel who have served towards the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations. On this day, special tribute is paid to over 4,400 peacekeepers who lost their lives in the pursuit of or in the service of peace.
What Happens on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers?
The day is observed primarily at the United Nations headquarters in America, where members of the UN council give statements and award the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, a posthumous UN medal for peacekeepers who lost their lives. In the United Kingdom, an annual conference and ceremony is held in London, with the ceremony open to spectators to observe.
76 Years of Peacekeeping
The International Day of UN Peacekeepers marks the date of the formation of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO). This organisation was established in 1948 to monitor ceasefire and peacekeeping operations in the Middle East. 2025 will be the 76th anniversary of this date.
That is just one part of UN peacekeeping history. To date, 71 peacekeeping operations have been performed, with 11 still in operation today, the majority with their own UN medal ribbon issued.
How Many UN Peacekeeping Medals Are There?
Aside from the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, first created in the year 2000, and the standard medal, only two unique UN medals have been awarded for specific peacekeeping missions. The UNEF mission in the Suez and the UNSMK mission in Korea have a unique service medal.
All other operations, save DOMREP and UNASOG, issue a standard service medal, with a unique medal ribbon to note the mission. For example, the UN Cyprus medal has two light blue strips, with a white strip surrounded by dark blue lines.
As a service medal, to be eligible, one must have served in the operation for an amount of time specific to the medal. The UN Cyprus medal, for example, has a qualifying time of three months of service.
