Remarks by UN Resident Coordinator in Tanzania Zlatan Milisic, during the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in Dar es Salaam -June 2, 2022

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  Dar es Salaam June 2, 2022|
  
   

• Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Liberata Mulamula
• Land Force Commander Major General Anthony Chacha Sibuti, Tanzania Peoples Defence Force
• Assistant Commissioner of Police, Muliro Jumanne Muliro, Tanzania Police Force
• Heads of Diplomatic Missions, Ambassadors, High Commissioner
• Defense Attaches
• Representatives of Tanzania People’s Defense Forces and Police
• Media professionals
• Students and Teachers present

Habari za Asubuhi!

Walinda Amani Oyeee!!

Heri ya siku ya walinda Amani!

Happy International UN Peacekeepers Day!

I am honored to join you today to commemorate the International Day of UN Peacekeepers and I take this opportunity to pass the greetings of the UN family in Tanzania on this important occasion.

The International Day of UN Peacekeepers was established by the UN General Assembly in 2002, to pay tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping, and to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

Only yesterday we had another attack on UN Peacekeepers, in Mali, where another UN peacekeeper lost his life and three were wounded.

The General Assembly designated 29 May as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. This year, Tanzania joins the rest of the World in commemorating the event today instead of the 29th, last Sunday.

This year’s theme "People. Peace. Progress. The Power of Partnerships” harnesses the power of people to secure peace, progress, and prosperity - a focus which is aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which seek to ensure no one is left behind as we march towards 2030.

UN Peacekeepers play an important role in ensuring no one is left behind through their track record of success in helping to bring peace, save lives and establish stability in many countries. UN Peacekeeping continues to be relevant. Our peacekeepers protect civilians, help build national capacities and institutions, advance political solutions and development and build long-term peace. 

The UN recognizes that Peacekeeping is a collective enterprise. Partnerships, including with Member States and regional organizations, are critical to implementing mandates and achieving results under the overall umbrella of the UN Secretary General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative.    

We thank the United Republic of Tanzania for playing its part in promoting global peace. This country has a rich tradition of helping other countries. Today, United Nations recognizes the United Republic of Tanzania as the 13th largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping missions. Tanzania currently deploys nearly 1,500 military and police personnel to the UN operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, and South Sudan.

In particular, we recognize and applaud Tanzania’s effort to enhancing the participation of female UN Peacekeepers in order to support societies in conflict or recovering after conflict. Female Peacekeepers add special value in establishing peace. They are key in helping to address issues around gender-based violence.

I also wish to thank the countries represented by their diplomats today, for their contributions to UN peacekeeping around the world.

We also congratulate Tanzania for establishing a Peacekeepers training institute that continues to train and ensure good standards expected of deployed UN Peacekeepers.

Peacekeeping is one of the most effective tools available to the UN and an investment in the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security. Today we celebrate all civilian, military and police UN peacekeepers who make a difference every day in the lives of millions of the most vulnerable around the globe.

This noble profession has in the past two years faced several challenges including COVID-19. However, despite these challenges, our peacekeepers continue to fulfill their mandated tasks and protect vulnerable communities with professionalism and perseverance. 

The United Nations sends its condolences to the people of Tanzania and to the families of two fallen Tanzanian UN Peacekeepers, who we lost last year, while serving in UN Peacekeeping operations. 

Last week, the UN Secretary-General honored posthumously, the late Lt. Col. Christopher Edward Kavalambi, who served with the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO); and Ms. Sophia Ramadhani Chomba who served in a civilian capacity in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Invited Guests,

I would now like to share with you the message of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, for this day - and I quote: 

“Today, we honor the more than one million women and men who have served as United Nations peacekeepers since 1948.

We pay tribute to the nearly 4,200 heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace.

And we are reminded of an age-old truth: peace can never be taken for granted.

Peace is the prize.

We are deeply grateful to the 87,000 civilian, police and military personnel serving under the UN flag now, who are helping to realize the prize of peace worldwide.

They face enormous challenges. Rising violence against peacekeepers has made their work even more dangerous.  Restrictions due to the pandemic have made it more difficult. But UN Peacekeepers continue to serve with distinction as partners for peace.

This year, we focus on the Power of Partnerships.

We know that peace is won when governments and societies join forces to resolve differences through dialogue, build a culture of nonviolence, and protect the most vulnerable.

Around the globe, UN peacekeepers work with the Member States, civil society, humanitarians, the media, the communities they serve, and many others, to foster peace, protect civilians, promote human rights and the rule of law and improve the lives of millions of people.

Today and every day, we salute their dedication in helping societies turn away from conflict, towards a more peaceful and prosperous future for all.

We are forever in their debt.” - end of quote.

I wish you all a happy UN Peacekeepers Day!

Asanteni sana!