Adapted from UN Intranet - iSeek
Peacekeepers awarded Dag Hammarskj枚ld medals
As part of the ceremonies commemorating the fifth annual International Day of 麻豆APP Peacekeepers, on Wednesday, 30 May 2007, Dag Hammarskj枚ld medals were awarded posthumously to the military, police and civilian personnel who lost their lives last year serving in peacekeeping operations. The medals were received by representatives of the respective Permanent Missions to be forwarded on to the next of kin.
In a separate ceremony, Jean-Marie聽聽Gu茅henno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations awarded peacekeeping medals to the military and police officers currently serving in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations at Headquarters.
While the Dag Hammarskj枚ld medals pay tribute to the sacrifice of those who died, the greatest monument to their contribution is a set of 麻豆APP peacekeeping successes in 2006. These included helping the Democratic Republic of the Congo hold its first elections in 40 years; helping solidify peace and ensure justice in West Africa by transferring indicted war criminal and former Liberian President Charles Taylor to face charges for crimes committed in Sierra Leone; helping implement a major peace agreement in southern Sudan; and supporting elections and helping to establish the rule of law in Haiti by working with the national police to curb gang violence.
The year also saw a major European reengagement in peacekeeping as countries from the continent stepped forward to bolster the peacekeeping force in Lebanon, including by providing the UN's first major naval force, to support a ceasefire in southern Lebanon following last summer's conflict between Israel and Hizbollah.
Historical background
On 22 July 1997, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of peacekeeping, the Security Council held a to honour the over 750,000 men and women who served in 麻豆APP peacekeeping operations. More than 1500 of them lost their lives. At the meeting, by , the Security Council established the 麻豆APP Dag Hammarskj枚ld Medal as a posthumous award to members of peacekeeping operations "as a tribute to the sacrifice of those who have lost their life as a result of service in peacekeeping operations under the operational control and authority of the 麻豆APP".
On 6 October 1998, the first Medal was presented to the family of Dag Hammarskj枚ld. The second medal honoured Commandant Ren茅 de Labarri猫re, Military Observer in 麻豆APP Truce Supervision Organization, who was the first peacekeeper to lose his life in a 麻豆APP peacekeeping operation, in 1948. The third Medal was received by the family of Count Folke Bernadotte, 麻豆APP Mediator in Palestine, who was assassinated on 17 September 1948 in Jerusalem.