UN Transcripts — https://transcripts.un.org/es/asset/k16/k16yn1ga7x The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, UN Woman Police Officer of the Year and UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year, and Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage ceremonies - International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2026 — 5 June 2026 Language: en Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Moderator [0:04]: Excellencies, generals, ladies and gentlemen, the Captain Baidjan Medal, Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, the Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, and the Dag Hammarskjöld Ceremony for 2026 is about to start. We kindly request you all to take your seats, switch off your cell phone, or put them in silent mode. Kindly note interpretation is being provided. Excellencies, Generals, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Secretary-General has joined the ceremony. Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, distinguished representatives of Member States, Generals, Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Captain Badyan Medoh Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, the Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, and the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal Ceremony. The General Assembly, in its Resolution 57129, designated 29 May as International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. This year, we are commemorating the 78th anniversary of United Nations Peacekeeping today, 5th of June, 2026. During today's ceremony, the Captain M'Baidian Medal, Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, the Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, and the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal will be presented. A few words on the Captain Baye Diagne Medal. The Captain Baye Diagne Medal for exceptional courage was established by the United Nations Security Council in 2014 through its Resolution 2154. To this date, in addition to the award presented to the widow of the late Captain Diagne in 2016, The medal has been awarded twice, in 2019 and 2022. The criteria are exceptional bravery and courage beyond the call of duty performed in an environment of extreme danger, serving humanity and involving the protection of human life. This year, nominations evaluated against the criteria were from MONUSCO, UNISFA, and UNMISS. Two Captain Dian Medals will be presented for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 cycles. Under-Secretary-General letters of appreciation have also been issued to 9 peacekeepers for their heroic acts that contributed to saving lives in UNISFA, and UNMISS. Now, the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security underscores the principles of prevention, protection, participation, and gender equality. Established in 2016, The Military Gender Advocate of the Year recognizes the outstanding dedication and effort of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting these principles within a peace operations context. This year, 22 nominations from 9 field missions were received for consideration of this award. This was followed by a rigorous selection process that resulted in the selection of the recipient of the 10th Military Gender Advocate of the Year. For over two decades, the Police Division, as part of its efforts to enhance operational effectiveness and mandate delivery, has developed several initiatives to increase the participation of women across the full spectrum of United Nations policing functions. Among these initiatives is the United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award. Established in 2011, the award recognizes the exceptional contributions of women police officers to UN peace operations and promotes women's empowerment. This year, we proudly mark the 15th presentation of the award by honoring a woman police officer from one of our field missions. For its part, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal was approved by the United Nations Security Council in July 1997. In 2007 as tribute to the sacrifice of military, police, and civilian men and women from all over the world who have laid down their lives while serving in UN peace operations. This medal commemorates the strength, purity, and fragility of the lives lost in the cause of peace. Today, 68 fallen peacekeepers from 33 member states will receive this symbol of the ultimate sacrifice. And we now invite the United Nations Secretary-General to share his thoughts on this occasion. Ladies and gentlemen, the Secretary-General. UN · SG [5:47]: Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, moments ago, I laid a wreath to commemorate the nearly 4,500 people who have lost their lives since the United Nations began its peacekeeping work almost 80 years ago. Unfortunately, as events in this very week remind us, peacekeepers continue to face peril in the cause of peace, And we pay the highest tribute to their service and sacrifice. Please join me in a moment of silence to honor their memory. Thank you. Le Monde— The world recently marked Peacekeepers Day. Across the globe, the UN blue helmet is a symbol of hope for communities in their darkest hour. UN peacekeeping has proven to be one of the international community's most effective responses to conflict. As we meet, More than 50,000 peacekeepers are deployed across the globe, protecting civilian lives. They are curbing violence, enabling political solutions, supporting elections, delivering humanitarian assistance, clearing landmines, and so much more. Thanks to the dedication of our troop-contributing countries, More than 2 million women and men have served in 71 peacekeeping missions on 4 continents. They do so in the face of acute danger, displaying levels of bravery and initiative that stir the heart. Today, it is my privilege to present 4 sets of awards recognizing the spirit of peacekeeping. I am humbled to posthumously bestow the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal to 68 peacekeepers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, including 59 killed last year. They came from 33 countries, diverse in background, but united in the cause of peace. They represent the best of humanity, people prepared to risk everything to keep others safe. To their families and friends here today, we mourn with you, and we vow to honor your loved ones in the best way we know how. —by carrying forward the mission to which they devoted their lives. Excellencies, dear friends, we will now recognize two recipients of the Capitaine Mbaye Diagne Medal for exceptional courage. The distinction bears the name of a Senegalese peacekeeper who in 1994 sacrificed his life in Rwanda while saving countless others. It has only been bestowed 3 times before. The first honoree is the late Serhiy Pryodshkor—Sergey Prykodov—of Ukraine. He was a private contractor with the helicopter crew who served with UNMISS, the UN mission in South Sudan. In March 2025, when a high-risk air evacuation needed to be carried out in Upper Nile State, he volunteered to take the place of a less experienced colleague. The mission, to extract a group of besieged soldiers, was part of a wider effort to de-escalate tensions and prevent further violence in the region. Despite receiving assurance of safe passage, the helicopter came under heavy fire, killing Sergei and injuring two crewmates. Sergei's wife and daughter are here with us today. I want you to know that over the course of his career, Sergei helped to save many lives. He died in the act of saving more. He will long be remembered by his colleagues in South Sudan and by the entire United Nations family. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we also will bestow the Dialogue Medal on Sergeant Matías Reyes of Uruguay, who serves with MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In January 2025, Sergeant Reyes was stationed in Goma, where he witnessed fierce clashes between army soldiers and M23 rebels. Some of the Congolese troops surrendered their weapons and sought refuge at the peacekeepers' base, but not all could make it on their own. While helping to secure the entrance, Sergeant Reys repeatedly went out to retrieve the wounded men. Under heavy gunfire, he carried them one by one on his back to safety. Thanks to his efforts, 12 gravely injured soldiers received medical assistance at the peacekeepers' makeshift hospital. Those men owe him their lives. Sergeant Reiss joins us online from Goma, where he continues to serve with MONUSCO. Sahento. Sergeant, you are a credit to the United Nations, and we are proud to call you a colleague. You have our everlasting gratitude and respect. Excellencies, dear friends, today we also celebrate two trailblazing women peacekeepers: our UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year, Major Abhilasha Barak of India, and our UN Women Police Officer of the Year, Inspector Stephanie Königs of Germany. Major Barak is deployed with UNIFIL, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, where a number of peacekeepers have recently been injured or killed. As the engagement team commander and gender focal point, within the Indian Battalion, she works to ensure that every aspect of the operation respects and serves the needs of women and other vulnerable groups. As a frontline commander, she has engaged thousands of women and girls through vocational training and programmes for education and health. She has built trust with local communities, created space for dialogue, and helped develop early warning networks that strengthen the Mission's ability to protect civilians. Her work shows the critical role that UNIFIL plays for local communities and how its presence is transforming the lives of women and girls even under the most challenging circumstances. Mejbarrak, you are a role model to those you serve and those you serve with. Congratulations.— and thank you for your service. Excellencies, dear friends, we also recognize Inspector Stephanie Koenigs. While deployed with UNMISS from September 2024 to March 2026, Inspector Koenigs served as a Police Adviser as well as a Patrol Team Leader within the Mission's Police Component. During a period of heightened political sensitivity and restricted movement in Juba, She led negotiations with national security forces at multiple checkpoints, navigating tense situations with confidence and calm, and ensuring the safety of her patrol. Her efforts enabled peacekeepers to access critical areas, including internally displaced persons sites, where they provided vulnerable communities with life-saving support. Her leadership helped reinforce early warning mechanisms supporting vital decision-making during periods of crisis. We recognize her professionalism, resilience and commitment. Her work is an example of our women officers leading frontline policing even in the most complex and high-risk environments. Thank you, Inspector, for your example and on behalf of all the people who have been helped by your work. Excellencies, families and friends, I am endlessly inspired by the women and men who wear the UN blue helmet. They are protectors of the vulnerable and guardians of hope in places where hope is often in short supply. I extend my deepest gratitude to the tens of thousands of peacekeepers serving under the UN flag across the globe. We stand with them, today and every day, for security, for dignity and for peace. Thank you. Moderator [16:14]: Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General, for your condolences and the words of encouragement. Excellencies, Generals, Ladies and Gentlemen, let us watch short videos of the exploits of 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 cycle, recipients of the Captain Baye Dian Medal for exceptional courage. Uruguay · Sergeant · Matías Reyes [16:56]: Fuego de artillería, morteros más que nada. No sabíamos dónde caían hasta que después empezamos a evaluar la situación y bueno, ahí fue cuando tomamos la decisión de empezar a salvar a los soldados esos que quedaban atrapados en la concertina. Muchos de ellos quedaron allí, no los podían sacar. Uno fue a ayudar y se le brindó todo lo que estuvo a nuestro alcance y se lo ayudó a ponerlo en cubierto y abrigo, en seguro. Fue algo difícil ver ese tipo de situaciones. Situaciones, si bien estamos preparados, pero también al acercarnos a la realidad de lo que fue, fue un poco chocante, creo que para todos en la primera instancia. Una decisión arriesgada, pero evaluamos y lo pudimos hacer con total satisfacción y con seguridad. Speaker 5 [18:34]: Sergey Laud is alive, and not only him on. That's why he became a rescuer, great rescuer, instructor. He saved many lives during his professional path and gave own life, saving others. He is in our minds. He is in our hearts. Forever. Moderator [19:24]: Shall we now watch short videos of the activities of the Military Gender Advocate of the Year and the Woman Police Officer Award of the Year? Germany · Inspector · Stefanie Koenigs [20:33]: My name is Stefanie Koenigs and I was deployed to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan as the team leader for the patrol team in Field Office Juba. I have led a multicultural team in a high-risk environment. The UNPOL presence is not only important because it's written in the mandate. I saw that we really have an impact. We are the face of the UNPOL component when we are patrolling and especially doing the foot patrol in the IDP camps. We are approachable and it matters that UNPOL stays visible in the area where we are needed the most. The United Nations are committed to reach the gender equality, but as long as we are not reaching the equality to the fullest, their visibility matters. We urgently need more females, especially in leadership positions. We can lead with confidence and patience, and it matters to show not only within the UNPOL component but also to our local counterparts what we are able to achieve. To my female colleagues, we need you, and we need you in operational leadership positions. Be brave and sometimes be stubborn, and you can achieve what you want to achieve. If you think about it, you can do it. Moderator [21:57]: Excellencies, Generals, ladies and gentlemen, my name is— It is now time for the presentation of Captain Beycan Medal, the Military Gender Advocate and Woman Police Officer of the Year Award. We now kindly request the Secretary-General to kindly step forward to present the awards. The Captain Beydian Medal for Exceptional Courage for 2024-2025 cycle goes to Corporal, now Sergeant, Matías Ríos of MONUSCO. I invite the Deputy Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the United Nations, Her Excellency Ms. Gabriela González, to receive the medal on behalf of Corporal, now Sergeant, Matias Reyes of MONUSCO. Sergeant Reyes could not be here with us today due to travel restrictions in place at the moment. May I now invite Mrs. Tetiana Prijotko, the widow and next of kin of Mr. Sergey Prijotko, to receive the Captain Byron Medal for exceptional courage for the 2025-2026 cycle. We now invite the 9th Military Gender Advocate of the Year awardee, Major Abhilasha Barak of the Armed Forces of India, to step forward for the award. Excellencies, Generals, ladies and gentlemen, we now invite the 15th Woman Police Officer of the Year awardee. Inspector Stephanie Konings from Germany, please step forward to receive your award. Excellencies, Generals, Ladies and Gentlemen, we now announce the names of uniformed fallen peacekeepers for the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal. The Permanent Representatives or designated officials are kindly requested to receive the medal on behalf of the fallen peacekeeper and sign the condolence book located to my left. Austria. Major Peter Simin. People's Republic of Bangladesh. Private Muhammad Jahangir Alam. Private Muhammad Sobuj Mia. Corporal Muhammad Masood Rana. Private Muhammad Mominul Islam. Private Shamir Reza. Private Shanto Mondor. Bosnia and Herzegovina. Senior Inspector Anver Alibegović. Burundi. Caporal-chef Richard Dicorio. Kingdom of Cambodia. Captain Dong Magali. First Lieutenant Moony Phat. Master Sergeant Brakda. Republic of Cameroon. Caporal Pierre Daida-Vanso, adjudant-chef Jean-Marie Eppé. Shilé. Lieutenant Colonel Raoul Jimenez Miranda. Republic of Congo. Commandant Herman Gildas Mukilo. Adjudant Régis Soumon. Brigadier-chef Jules Mantodo Nzaba. Maréchal des logis-chef Ulrich Févier-Andessy. Maréchal des logis-chef Serge Duvain Muyo Kidibazola. Côte d'Ivoire. Adjudanzy Adama Konaté. Djibouti. Major Tesfae Biru Dagefa. Caporal-chef Ahmed Mohamed Mustafa. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Major Tispae Biru Dighifa. Ghana. Warrant Officer Class 1 George Anim. India. Lanz Havildar Abhrajit Singh. Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Bradhan. Republic of Indonesia. Second Corporal Eko Prambudi Santoso. Police First Sergeant Sri Widodo. Republic of Kazakhstan. Lieutenant Colonel Asghar Mohammad Risouli. Republic of Kenya. Major Paul Ndong'on Joroge. Malaysia. Sergeant Farida Abdurrahman. Kingdom of Morocco. Corporal Driss Gabgabi. Private First Class Ashraf Bougdama. Corporal Jawed Ritali. Nepal. Corporal Suraj Lamichhane. Private Debiram Jayasinghe. Portugal. Agente Coordenadora, Delia de Fatima Rodrigues Lopes. Republic of South Africa. Private Mokiti Joseph Mobi. Private Andries Tshisidze. Mabeli. Miss Morlatlego Aniki Kobe. Tunisia. First Corporal Seyfedeen Hamrita. Yorogwe. Private Rodolfo Cipriano Alvarez Suarez. First Corporal Julio Cesar Alvarez Caseras. Republic of Zambia. Corporal Steve Muloki Sakashoma. Staff Sergeant Alik Banda. Excellencies, Generals, ladies and gentlemen. We will now honour the civilian personnel who sacrificed their lives for the cause of peace. Mr. Leonidas Ngungie. Mr. Samuel Jaco Musenja. Mr. William Kodjo Dussey. Ms. Bertile Larissa Yagasso Nguyen Gaba. Mr. Nelson Sylvain Pambina. Mr. Justin Kumayu. Mr. Diodane Makanja. Mr. Sehido Diaby. Mr. Jean-Louis Wavuga Buende. Mr. César Mambo Bassa. Mr. John Mbaya Baboso. Mr. Adrian Katindi Katengula. Mr. William Bali Takolotava. Mr. Nadir Kem. Miss Alice Wanjiru Shege. ASG Aissa Kirabu Kassira. Mr. Peter Both Malual Luen. Mr. Taban John Fomafu Akakonyo. Mr. Christopher Jam Marichello. Mr. Bol Roch Mayotte Kouat. Mr. Adam Aboubakar. Ms. Eunice Mainan. Mr. Paul William Ari Macklenburg. We now invite the Assistant Secretary-General for Operational Support, to come to the front of the podium, please. The Secretary-General is kindly requested to present the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal to the Assistant Secretary-General for Operational Support, who will receive it on behalf of all fallen civilian peacekeepers. This concludes the Doug Hammersholt Medal presentation, and we kindly request the Secretary General, the USG for Peace Operations, and ASG for Operational Support to take their seats. Excellencies. Generals, ladies and gentlemen, we will now play a recorded message from Sergeant Matias Reyes of MONUSCO, recipient of the Captain Bejan Medal for the 2024-2025 cycle. Uruguay · Sergeant · Matías Reyes [40:27]: Senhora representante das Nações Unidas. Distinguished representatives of the United Nations, members of MONUSCO, dear comrades and family. Today I receive this recognition. Fully aware that it belongs to each and every member of our beloved unit. During those critical days in Goma, when reason seemed to have been lost, Uruguayan soldiers, guided by such profound principles as duty, humanity, and respect for life, set aside their fears to save others, even at the cost of their own lives, because, because that is the essence of Being a soldier, to serve. I would like to thank the United Nations for this recognition, my comrades and my beloved family for their constant support. Finally, rest assured that this is and will remain the conduct of every Uruguayan soldier, because we are fully aware that, as the Irish writer and philosopher Edmund Burke once said, The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. Moderator [41:46]: We now invite Mrs. Tetiana Prihodko, next of kin of Mr. Sergei Prihodko, to deliver her remarks. Next of kin · Tetiana Prihodko [42:05]: Distinguished guests and dear friends, my heart filled with both pride and sorrow as I accept this medal on behalf of my beloved husband, Serhiy Pryhochko. Serhiy was a man who believed deeply that duty is a calling. Throughout his missions in Mali, Somalia, and South Sudan, he always went where help was needed most, even when danger was inevitable. He was responsible, courageous, and always ready to help others. That is why, in March 2025, he volunteered for a dangerous evacuation mission to save lives. When their helicopters came under fire, Sir He did what he had always done—he put others before himself. His dedication to serving peace remains an inspiration to us all. But beyond his service, he was also a loving husband, a devoted father, and a man who meant the world to our family. This medal honors his bravery, but it also reminds us of the true costs of the peace, the sacrifices made by those who serve far from home for the sake of people they may never meet. On behalf of our family, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the United Nations for this honor and for remembering Sir He not only as a fallen hero, but as a man who chose humanity every every single day. Thank you. Moderator [43:56]: Thank you, Mrs. Prituk. May the soul of your husband and that of all other deceased peacekeepers rest in peace. We now invite the Military Gender Advocate of the Year awardee, Major Abhilasha Barak of India, to deliver her remarks. India · Major · Abhilasha Barak [44:21]: Honorable Secretary-General, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, with gratitude and humility, I accept the 2025 United Nations Military Gender Advocate Award on behalf of my UNIFIL colleagues and my country, India. It has been an honor to lead India's first engagement team to UNIFIL and to serve as a military gender focal point for INBAC 26, advancing the women, peace and security agenda and integrating gender perspectives into peacekeeping operations. Working in a complex operational environment, taught me that real progress begins when every voice is heard, and especially those of women, which are too often unheard. Together, we carried out outreach activities focused on gender empowerment. These moments of connection helped build trust— helped build trust and showed me how small, consistent efforts can lead to a real change. My commitment to empowerment is also personal. At first, as being the first woman combat helicopter pilot in the Indian Army, I experienced firsthand how opportunity enables women to break barriers and reach milestones. I firmly believe gender is not responsibility of a few, but it belongs to all of us. I thank UNIFIL leadership my INBATT family and the communities we served, along with my family and mentors whose encouragement sustained me. This award is a reminder that lasting peace can only be built when every voice is heard and every individual is empowered, because dreams do not have a gender, and neither does leadership, courage, or the will to serve humanity. Moderator [46:25]: Thank you, Major Abhilasha Barak, for your inspirational work and encouraging words for the fellow peacekeepers. Excellencies, Generals, Ladies and Gentlemen, we now invite the Woman Police Officer of the Year awardee, Inspector Stephanie Connings from Germany. To deliver her remarks. Germany · Inspector · Stefanie Koenigs [46:52]: Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, distinguished guests, fellow peacekeepers, ladies and gentlemen. It is a great honor to stand here today as a representative of all women police peacekeepers and to receive this award. During my 1.5-year deployment to South Sudan as a patrol team leader in the nation's capital, Juba, I saw and felt the impact of our presence on local communities every day. Through our patrols and our engagement, we made a real difference in the lives of the people we were mandated to serve and protect. Mr. Secretary-General, this recognition is not only a personal honour, for which I am deeply grateful, it's also a tribute to all women police officers serving in peace operations around the world. Time and again, women police officers have proven that they can lead and perform operational duties under the most challenging circumstances. I hope that through my service I have contributed in some small way to advancing gender equality. I remain deeply proud to serve under the United Nations flag and committed to its values of peace, security, and equality. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary-General. Moderator [48:30]: Thank you, Inspector Connicks, for your inspirational work and encouraging words to our fellow peacekeepers. Excellencies, Generals, ladies and gentlemen, we now invite the ASG Doss to share her thoughts, please. UN · ASG Operational Support [48:47]: Secretary General, Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends. I am both humbled and deeply honored to accept this medal on behalf of the civilian peacekeepers who have given the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace. Today, I received this medal on behalf of the families of 23 civilian personnel from 14 member states. We pay tribute to their bravery and dedication to the cause of peace —and we grieve with their loved ones for this immeasurable loss. The most meaningful way to honour their memory is to rededicate ourselves to strengthening the support we provide to all peacekeepers, today and in the future. Our women and men serve in some of the most challenging and complex environments in the world. We collectively owe them a profound sense of gratitude for their courage— courage, resilience, and immense sacrifices. Civilian personnel perform critical functions that enable peacekeeping operations to fulfill their mandates. They provide essential expertise in finance, logistics, supply chain management, engineering, human resources, medical support, environmental management, and digital services. —often in remote and high-risk locations—to ensure that our missions can protect hundreds of thousands of civilians. I acknowledge with profound respect the recipients of the Captain M'Bey Diagne Medal: the late Sergei Prikhodko of Ukraine, who served in UNMISS, and Sergeant Matías Reyes of Uruguay, who serves in MINUSCO. Their extraordinary courage and selfless actions embody the highest ideals of United Nations peacekeeping and the unwavering protection of human life. I also extend my sincere appreciation to Major Abhilasha Barak of India, recipient of the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, whose leadership and innovation have advanced the women, peace, and security security agenda across military operations. And Inspector Stephanie Koenigs of Germany, recipient of the United Nations Women Police Officer of the Year Award for her exceptional professionalism, operational leadership, and personal courage while serving in Juba. Excellencies, colleagues, the Department of Operational Support remains firmly committed— to enhancing the safety, security, and effectiveness of all peacekeepers. Together with the Department of Peace Operations, we continue to expand access to specialized training, modern equipment, and mission-enabling capabilities that allow peacekeepers to operate more safely and effectively. We are advancing several key initiatives, such as strengthening medical support, including improved medevac, CASAVAC arrangements, modernizing supply chains to ensure timely delivery of critical equipment, spare parts, and life support items, expanding digital and technology-enabled solutions and remote monitoring systems to improve situational awareness and reduce risk, improving camp infrastructure with a focus on environmental sustainability, renewable energy, and safe living and working conditions for all personnel; enhancing environmental and occupational safety standards; and supporting Member States through strengthened pre-deployment training and clearer standards for equipment readiness and medical compliance. We will continue to work closely with Member States and field missions to ensure that peacekeepers are equipped with the fit for-purpose capabilities, supported by rapid and effective emergency medical care, and backed by responsive systems that allow us to act swiftly when incidents occur. Today, as we honour those who have fallen, we reaffirm our commitment to every peacekeeper who continues to serve. Their courage inspires us. Their sacrifice obliges us. And their legacy strengthens our resolve to build a safer, more peaceful world. Thank you. Moderator [53:20]: We thank Madam Assistant Secretary General for Operational Support for her remarks. Excellencies, Generals, ladies and gentlemen, we now kindly invite the USGPO to share his thoughts. UN · USG Peace Operations [53:37]: Secretary General, Excellencies, Generals, ladies and gentlemen. I thank you, Secretary-General, for your powerful words. Today we honour extraordinary individuals, but we also honour the enduring values and shared purposes at the heart of United Nations peacekeeping. The courage we recognise this morning is not abstract. It is lived every day by peacekeepers serving in some of the world's most dangerous and difficult environments. It is lived by helicopter crews flying into active conflict zones. Zones to evacuate the wounded. It is lived by peacekeepers protecting populations under fire. It is also lived by women and men who patrol the intense frontlines, negotiate access to communities in need, clear explosive remnants of war, support elections, and help create the conditions for political dialogue. The stories that are being shared today remind us of what peacekeeping truly means. In South Sudan, Serhiy Pihochko gave his life while helping to prevent further violence during a dangerous evacuation mission. And today we honour this courage and sacrifice. And to his widow, dear Tetiana, we extend our deepest condolences and gratitude to you and Serhiy's entire family and loved ones. In Goma, Sergeant Matias Reyes repeatedly exposed himself to heavy gunfire to to carry wounded soldiers to safety, one by one. Sergeant Freyas, we deeply regret that you are unable to join us today due to the health crisis in the DRC, and we thank you for your continued service under these difficult conditions. In Lebanon and South Sudan, Major Abilash Abarak and Inspector Stephanie Koenig demonstrated how leadership, trust-building and engagement with communities are not secondary aspects of peacekeeping. Indeed, they are central to missions' effectiveness and the protection of civilians. Major Barak and Inspector Koenig, we thank you for your professionalism and your commitment to the communities you served. Excellencies, colleagues, and guests, les exemples— ces exemples nous inspirent. These examples inspire us, but they reflect also the reality which Blue Helmets have to face. The day before yesterday, we tragically lost another Blue Helmet whose life was cut too short. Sergeant Milovan Jovanović died due to severe wounds as a result of mortar fire in the southwest of Lebanon. He was— he would have been 37 years old tomorrow, on the 6th of June. This was his first deployment as a peacekeeper. He arrived in Lebanon in January of this year. Sergeant Ivanović is the 7th Blue Helmet killed in Lebanon since March of 2026. These attacks against the Blue Helmets are unacceptable, and those responsible for them must be held accountable. This is just one example of what it means when we say that the Blue Helmets work in increasingly complex environments. In increasingly tense geopolitical situations and in technological contexts and growing pressure on multilateralism. At the same time, peacekeeping operations are confronted with serious financial constraints that result as late or incomplete payments of mandatory obligations. All these constraints are not theoretical. They are the there are real consequences. Force reductions in patrols delayed infrastructure projects, affected training activities, reduced air operations, and limited support to local, local communities. Some missions have had to reduce their footprint and civilian staffing at a time when expectations continue to grow. And yet peacekeepers continue to deliver. In the Central African Republic, peacekeepers have helped create the security conditions for humanitarian assistance presence and local dialogue in border areas affected by spillover from the conflict in Sudan. In South Sudan, peacekeepers recently reopened critical supply routes after severe flooding, improving humanitarian access and mobility for communities. In Lebanon, UN peacekeepers remain on the ground monitoring, reporting and serving as critical liaisons under extremely difficult conditions., and they are also supporting humanitarian assistance to the civilian population. And in Abidjan, peacekeepers continue working with communities to reduce tensions and support local conflict resolution efforts. These efforts—just a few examples among many others—rarely make headlines, but they matter profoundly to the communities peacekeepers serve. That is why this year's theme, Invest in Peace, is so important. Investing in peacekeeping means investing in stability, prevention, and political solutions. It means recognizing that the cost of preventing conflict is always far lower than the cost of responding after violence escalates. And it means ensuring that peacekeepers have the political backing, resources, training, and capabilities required to carry out the mandates entrusted to them by Member States. Nearly 80 years after the establishment of the first United Nations peacekeeping missions, blue helmets remain a powerful symbol of international solidarity and shared responsibility. The women and men we honour today remind us that peacekeeping is ultimately about people. People willing to serve far from home so that others may live in greater safety and dignity. To all peacekeepers serving under the UN flag today, we thank you.. And to the families and friends of the more than 4,500 peacekeepers we have lost since 1948, we remember your loved ones and honour their sacrifice. And to our Member States, our collective responsibility is clear. We must continue to invest in peace, not only in words, but in sustained political and financial support for the enduring work of peacekeeping. Thank you. Moderator [59:59]: Thank you, Mr. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, for your remarks. Excellencies, Generals, ladies and gentlemen, we will now play the Last Post in honor of fallen peacekeepers. Personnel in uniform are requested to kindly salute. Speaker 21 [1:00:24]: Wait, wait. Moderator [1:02:19]: Excellencies, Generals, Ladies and Gentlemen, this concludes the awards ceremony for 2026. Thank you very much for your participation in the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. You are kindly requested to remain in your places while the Secretary-General departs.