Guests viewing peacekeeping film at UNIC Brazzaville

On 29 May 2009, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Brazzaville organized the screening of two films entiled "Au nom de la paix" and "Les femmes dans les opérations de maintien de la paix, une force pour la paix" to mark the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.

Participants included female Army Officers, members of the High Board of the Army, Police and Gendarmerie and journalists.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative/Acting Resident Coordinator delivered the Secretary-General’s message for the Day. UNIC Brazzaville's National Information Officer made introductory remarks.

Women peacekeepers in Tanzania ready for Darfur

The Government of the Republic of Tanzania has called for more women to be included in United Nations Peacekeeping missions in order to recognize and promote their position and role in peace and security operations. Addressing guests during the commemoration of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers in Dar es Salaam, the Deputy Minister of Defense and National Service lamented the few number of women in peacekeeping operations and called it an anomaly which needed to be addressed.

The Minister underscored the Government’s determination to heed the United Nations’ call to increase the number of female personnel in UN Peacekeeping operations. “The government will do whatever is necessary to increase the participation of female personnel in our country’s troops for peacekeeping operations in the near future” he stated.

In a statement presented on behalf of the UN Secretary-General by the acting UN Resident Coordinator and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative, the importance of involving more local women in peacemaking, peace building and peacekeeping operations was illustrated. “The point is not to achieve gender parity for its own sake” states the Secretary-General, “the imperative is to draw on the unique and powerful contribution women can make. Female blue helmets, human rights monitors and other mission staff offer new skills and styles of functioning in the ever-evolving field of peacekeeping. Often, they can better communicate with local women, generating a greater sense of security while serving as an example of women’s empowerment.”

Acknowledging that there are still far too few women peacekeepers, the Secretary-General hailed the Security Council landmark resolution 1325 for being “…the first omnibus text to recognize that women bear the brunt of armed conflicts, and should have a commensurate role in their prevention and resolution.”

Among the 132 peacekeepers who lost their lives in the line of duty – the highest one-year total in the history of UN peacekeeping – were ten women, underlining the fact that female personnel are playing an increasingly important and risky role in peacekeeping.

Tanzania is in the process of deploying a battalion to join the UN African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

Detective Senior Constable Jenny Dyball and UNIC Director Christopher Woodthorpe

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers  celebrates the service of past and present United Nations peacekeepers worldwide. In Australia, the day’s proceedings began with a ceremonial march by a contingent of the NSW Police Force and Australian Federal Police peacekeeping veterans to the NSW Police College Chapel, where an invocation and ceremonial handover of the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal belonging to the late Sergeant Ian Donald Ward took place.

Sergeant Ward, a former member of the NSW Police Force and the Commonwealth Police Force of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, was tragically killed in 1974 when his vehicle came across an unmarked minefield during his humanitarian duties. Soon afterwards he was awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal posthumously.

The invocation at the NSW Police College Chapel was read by the Detective Acting Sergeant, a highly experienced peacekeeping officer. In part, the invocation read ‘let us recall our fellow Australians, and those of other nationalities here today, who have served proudly under the flag of the United Nations in its peacekeeping actions throughout the world over the many years, and in remembering those who fell in their most gallant callings. Let us also honour the many servants of the United Nations, who do the limit of their human strength (and even beyond), give of their wills and their spirits, that their days might be our tomorrows. The invocation was followed by a blessing and a hymn entitled ”Song of all Nations,“ and a minute’s silence for all UN peacekeepers who have given their lives in the service of peace. The service finished with a requiescat played by a lone bugler.

Due to its national significance, Sergeant Ian Ward’s medal had been in the custody of the Australian Federal Police museum until today’s handover. It will now be entrusted to the NSW Police College for five years.

Later in the afternoon, at the dedication of the College’s peacekeeping display, the UNIC Canberra Director read the Secretary-General’s mesage for the Day, which focused on the important role played by women peacekeepers. In additional comments, the Director said he was pleased to have had the opportunity to meet with Australian women peacekeepers during the day.

The NSW Police College display is designed to honour those members of the NSW Police Force who have contributed to United Nations peacekeeping operations as United Nations police officers.

The day’s events were also attended by representatives from the Australian Government, Australian Armed forces, New South Wales Government, Peacekeeping Associations, Australian Federal Police, the Returned Services League and former and present peacekeepers.

A moment of silence for the fourteen members of the Burundian contingent who were killed in Somalia in February 2009

In commemoration of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Bujumbura co-organized with the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) a photo exhibition on Burundi's participation in UN and African Union peacekeeping operations in Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, Somalia and Sudan. The exhibit took place on UNIC Bujumbura's premises on 29 May 2009. The photo exhibition illustrated the participation of Burundian women in peacekeeping operations and the photos were obtained by UNIC Bujumbura from the National Army and the Police.

Prior to launching the exhibition, an official ceremony was held in the UNIC's conference room and included a speech on behalf of the UN System in Burundi made by the Deputy Executive Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Burundi, Ms. Bintou Keita. The official opening speech on behalf of the Government was made by the Chef de Cabinet in the Ministry of National Defense and Former Combatants. He emphasized that Burundi will not stop contributing the troops for peacekeeping, recalling the presence of Burundian military and police troops in Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Chad and Somalia. He also called for a moment of silence in memory of the fourteen members of the Burundian contingent who were killed in Somalia in February 2009.

A former peacekeeper spoke of his experiences as a peacekeeper in Darfur and showed videos of his activities in Darfur. UNIC Bujumbura also screened the film entitled, “Women in Peacekeeping: the Power to Empower.”

As part of the ceremony, three soldiers performed a song in the Kirundi language, in praise of the United Nations role in bringing peace in the world and the government of Burundi for its participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

Approximately one hundred people participated in the commemoration among them representatives of the Government, diplomatic corps, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), military and police corps, and heads of UN agencies. 

View film "Women in Peacekeeping: the Power to Empower" on the United Nations channel on YouTube