The United Nations family came together on Wednesday to pay tribute to the 77 members of staff, including seven Pakistanis, who lost their lives serving under the U.N. flag in 2022.
“We are here to mourn together, to remember together, and to pay our respects together,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the solemn ceremony, held in the iconic Trusteeship Council chamber at UN Headquarters in New York.
Relatives of the fallen personnel, members of the diplomatic community and UN staff from around the world attended the event, both in-person and online.
Dr Mariam Aamir, wife of martyred Major Faizan Ali, a Pakistani peacekeeper who lost his life in a helicopter crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), attended the solemn ceremony.
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram and the Military Advisor to the Pakistan Mission in New York, Col. Umar Shafiq Chughtai, were also pre-sent.
At the start of the ceremony, the Secretary-General alongside UN General Assembly President Csaba Korösi,and the Security Council President for July, Ambassador Barbara Woodward of the United Kingdom, lit a candle representing an eternal flame.
The UN chief called for a minute of silence “for all our dear, dear colleagues that have given their lives for others to be able to live.”
The names of the 77 military, police, and civilian personnel who died serving the Organization last year were read out during the ceremony.
Guterres said these men and women, who came from 36 countries, were both colleagues and friends.
Their service embodied the principle and the promise of the United Nations: The principle of our common humanity and the promise to act on it – to work together to solve shared challenges, and build a world of peace, prosperity, and human rights for all, he said.
The Secretary-General underscored how UN staff breathe life into the noble vision each day, and frequently in difficult conditions, such as peace-keepers and humanitarian aid workers.
Yet whatever their role, and whatever the circum-stance, all those we honour today dedicated them-selves to others,he said. Their courage saved lives, their commitment safe-guarded those in need, and their expertise helped to build a better world – now and in the future.
Guterres noted that in a divided and dangerous world, the vision and values that the UN flag represents are more important than ever.
He upheld a commitment to continue the UN’s essential mission, in honor of those who gave their lives in service to the Organization.
We pledge to keep supporting families. We commit to continually reviewing and improving the safety, care, and well-being of our staff. And we vow to keep the memories of our fallen colleagues alive: In our thoughts, in our hearts, and in our work to build a life of dignity and hope for all, he said.
The Pakistani peacekeepers whose names were read out were: Havildar Muhammad Ismail, Major Faizan Ali, Lt. Col Asif Ali Awan, Naib Subedar Sami Ullah Khan, Major Muhammad Saad Nomani, and Lance Havildar Muhammad Jamil Khan — the six who were martyred while serving with the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) when their helicopter crashed on 29 March 2022.
In addition, on 30 September 2022, Babar Siddique, a peacekeeper from Pakistan serving with MONUSCO, was killed in an attack on the Mission operational base in Minembwe, South Kivu, by suspected members of the Twirwaneho armed group.
Dr Mariam Aamir, who was representing the fami-lies of martyred Pakistani peacekeepers, met the Secretary-General and other dignitaries on the occasion. She thanked the UN chief for acknowledging and paying tributes to the fallen peacekeepers, saying Pakistan would continue to contribute to the cause of world peace and security.
She also met Ambassador Akram, the permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, and other Mission officials.—APP
