Speaker at International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers' event

On 12 June 2009, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Buenos Aires organized together with the Division of Peacekeeping Operations of Argentina’s Ministry of Defense a two hour event honouring the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers at CAECOPAZ (Argentinean Joint  Training Center for Peacekeeping Operations).

Keynote speakers included the Director of UNIC Buenos Aires, CAECOPAZ Director and the Director of Peacekeeping Operations at the Ministry of Defense.

The UNIC Rio de Janeiro sponsored documentary “Ponto Forte” (“Strong Point”), which focuses on the work of MINUSTAH and the civil-military cooperation in the Mission and was directed by Mariana Reade, was shown along with a 10 minute video on the 50th anniversary of Argentina’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

The National Information Officer of UNIC Lagos speaking to students about UN peacekeeping operations

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos marked the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers with a visit to a Lagos school on 4 June 2009.

The National Information Officer and the Reference Assistant visited the Fountain Heights Secondary School, Surulere, Lagos, to screen UN videos on UN peacekeeping and to have a dialogue with students. Following the Secretary-General’s message for the Day read by the National Information Officer, the videos on peacekeeping entitled "In the Cause of Peace" and "Courage for Peace" were shown to over one hundred students and teachers.  The Reference Assistant made brief presentations on this year’s theme of the Day “Women in Peacekeeping.” A lively question and answer session followed the video presentation.

احتفالا باليوم الدولي لحفظة السلام التابعين للأمم المتحدة  نظم مركز الأمم المتحدة للإعلام في القاهرة اليوم 3 يونيو 2009 لقاءا مع وسائل الإعلام بالتعاون مع هيئة الامم المتحدة لمراقبة الهدنة. وتحدث في هذا اللقاء كل من المقدم  تايرا هاردينغ، رئيس مكتب الاتصال التابع لهيئة مراقبة الهدنة بالقاهرة، والسيد فتحي دبابي مدير مركز الأمم المتحدة للإعلام بالانابة.

وأتاح هذا الحدث فرصة لتوضيح التقدم الهام الذي شهدته عمليات حفظ السلام التابعة للامم المتحدة منذ نشر اولى عمليات حفظ السلام مثل هيئة مراقبة الهدنة مع التركيز بصفة خاصة على التطور الكبير الذي شهدته مساهمة المرأة خلال العقد الماضي. وتحدثت المقدم هاردينغ عن ولاية الهيئة وأنشطتها في مصر والمنطقة. وأظهرممثلو وسائل الإعلام اهتماما كبيرا للتعرف على دور النساء في قوات حفظ السلام التابعة للامم المتحدة  . وقد تولت المقدم هاردينغ الإجابة على العديد من الأسئلة.

وكان الحدث أيضا فرصة لممثلي وسائل الإعلام لزيارة معرض الصور الذي أعده مركز الإعلام في القاهرة بمناسبة الذكري الستين لعمليات الامم المتحدة لحفظ السلام.

UNIC Cairo's Officer-in-Charge (right) and UNTSO representative brief journalists on UN peacekeeping efforts

To mark the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Cairo organized on 3 June 2009 a briefing for the media in collaboration with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO). Speakers at the event were Lt. Col. Tyra Harding, representative of UNTSO and Mr. Fethi Debbabi, UNIC Cairo's Officer-in-Charge.

The event provided an opportunity to explain the important progress UN peacekeeping has made since the deployment of the earliest peacekeeping operation, UNTSO, with particular emphasis on the strengthening of women’s peacekeeping role during the last decade. Lt. Col. Harding gave a briefing about UNTSO’s mandate and activities in Egypt and the region. Media representatives showed a particular interest in UN female peacekeepers' experiences.

The event also provided an opportunity for media representatives to visit the Arabic version of the photo exhibition prepared by UNIC Cairo for the 60th anniversary of UN peacekeeping, which was in 2008.