International Peacekeepers Day
The United Nations General Assembly has chosen May 29 to celebrate the International Day of Peacekeepers. The day honors the men and women who have served and continue to serve in United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world.
On May 29, 1948, the first United Nations peacekeeping operation was inaugurated with the birth of the UNTSO United Nations Truce Supervision Organization which began a monitoring activity in Palestine in June of the same year.
On the same day, the Security Council called for the cessation of hostilities in Palestine and decided that the truce would be monitored by United Nations mediators assisted by a group of soldiers who would only have an observer role: in this context, the UNTSO was born .
The theme chosen for 2023 is "We honor our heroes".
A theme that wants to pay tribute to all those who have served and continue to serve the cause of peace in the world through UN missions. From the first operation of the blue helmets in 1948 to today, about 3400 people (military, law enforcement officers and civilians) have lost their lives during peace missions.
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna celebrates International Peacekeepers Day with a video on the conflict between Israel and Palestine and more generally on peacekeeping.
Emanuele Sommario, professor of international law and director of the Master's in Human Rights & Conflict Management of the School interviews Francesca Albanese, special representative of the United Nations for the occupied territories of Palestine.