The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, also known as the Blue Helmets International Day, is celebrated each year, on 29 May.

Romania has supported and continues to support the UN peacekeeping efforts, proving a significant contributor to the operations and missions conducted under the aegis of this institution.

Thus, our country has been a troop contributor to this kind of missions for 29 years. The first such mission the Romanian military observers participated in was the UNIKOM peacekeeping mission in Iraq-Kuwait. Over 10,000 Romanian Armed Forces soldiers have been deployed to various regions worldwide and acted under the UN Flag in 25 peacekeeping missions.

Currently, the Ministry of National Defence brings its contribution to the peace and security consolidation in conflict and instability areas of the continent, by participating in the peacekeeping missions from RD Congo, Kosovo, Southern Sudan, India-Pakistan Frontier and the Republic of Mali. The Carpathian Pumas Detachment participating in United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has been, by far, the most significant and numerous presence of the Romanian soldiers up to present.

Because of the measures taken to limit the spread of the Sars-Cov-2 virus, the anniversary will be marked by a virtual ceremony. Thus, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, will lay a wreath in honour of all peacekeepers who have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag, on Friday, 29 May, at the Un Headquarters . This moment will be followed by a virtual ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjold medal will be awarded posthumously to 83 military, civilian and police peacekeepers who lost their lives in 2019.

The theme for this year's Day is Women in Peacekeeping to emphasize the women's significant role in the UN peacekeeping operations.

* * *

The first UN peacekeeping mission was established on 29 May by the UN General Assembly, through Resolution 59/129, 1948, when the Security Council authorized the conduct of the first peacekeeping mission in the Middle East, respectively the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

The UN Forces' role is to maintain the peace in order to avoid military conflicts so that the understanding between nations and ethnical groups be the dominant element of human life worldwide.

The Blue Helmets name comes from the colour of the uniforms worn by the military personnel, the blue signifying peace, stability and loyalty.

The Press Office