The International Day of the UN Peacekeepers

Each year, The International Day of the UN Peacekeepers, also known as the International Day of Blue Helmets, is celebrated, on 29th May.

The Romanian Armed Forces has actively contributed to the consolidation of the UN active role in the international peace-keeping and security field. This year marks 30 years of continuous participation with troops in this type of missions.

Participation of the Romanian soldiers in the international peace-keeping missions is a proof of the professionalism and the fulfilled commitments that our country had assumed as a member of the international community.

The first Romanian military observers were deployed in 1991, within the Iraq-Kuwait UNIKOM Mission; later on, Romania had significant contributions to the UN Missions conducted in Somalia, Angola and Mali, where the Carpathian Pumas detachment consisting of 4 IAR-330 LRM Helicopters and 120 soldiers was deployed (two rotations).

Over the last three decades, the Romanian Armed Forces participated with over 6,000 military observers, liaison officers and soldiers in units and small units in 17 peace-keeping missions and operations.

Currently, the Ministry of National Defence deployed military personnel in the UN peace-keeping missions and operations such as MONUSCO, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, UNMISS, in the Southern Sudan, MINUSMA, in Mali, UNMIK, in Kosovo, and UNMOGIP, at the border frontier point of India-Pakistan, having a significant contribution to the peace and security consolidation in the conflict and instability areas.

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By Resolution no.57/129, the UN General Assembly established 29th May as International Day of the UN Peacekeepers when, in 1948, the UN initiated its first peace-keeping mission in the Middle East: UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

The role of the UN forces is to maintain peace in order to avoid all military conflicts, so that the understanding between nations and ethnical groups be the dominant element at global level.

“The Blue Helmet” name comes from the colour of the soldiers’ equipment, blue being the representative colour of peace, stability and loyalty.

Details about the International Day of UN Peacekeepers can be found at email address: https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/2021-theme-road-to-lasting-peace-leveraging-power-of-youth-peace-and-security.

The Press Office