Nous devons aux femmes et aux hommes courageux qui ont servi et péri sous notre drapeau, la revue des opérations de paix de l’ONU, déclare le Secrétaire général
On trouvera, ci-après, le texte bilingue de l’allocution du Secrétaire général de l’ONU, M. António Guterres, prononcée à l’occasion des cérémonies de remise du prix Défense de l’égalité des genres, du prix de la Policière des Nations Unies de l’année et de la Médaille Dag Hammarskjöld, à New York, aujourd’hui:
Moments ago, I laid a wreath to honour peacekeepers. Four thousand four hundred of our precious Blue Helmets have lost their lives since United Nations peacekeeping was established — 77 years ago today. In their memory, I would like to ask all present in this room to observe a moment of silence.
We all pay tribute to those brave women and men who died — far from home and far from their loved ones — while serving humanity’s most noble cause: peace.
Today, we honour with the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, 57 peacekeepers who paid the ultimate price for the cause of peace last year, as well as another who lost his life in 1973. We hold them all in our hearts. And we grieve with their families and loved ones. Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Peace is the foundations of the United Nations and with peacekeeping at its corner stone. This message was reinforced earlier this month at the Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting in Berlin. Over 130 countries and partners stood up for peacekeeping — and to make concrete commitments to strengthen it. It was a moving testimony to the fact that the worth and work of our peacekeepers are recognized in every corner of the world. And a tribute to peacekeeping and to peacekeepers — to all those we honour today.
Over the decades, more than 2 million women and men have served in 71 missions on 4 continents. I am deeply grateful to our Member States for these invaluable contributions. In the communities and countries in which they serve, UN peacekeepers are an important symbol of the United Nations at its best. And together, they have helped improve millions of lives: protecting people, preserving peace and providing hope; rebuilding infrastructure, repairing institutions and ensuring life-saving assistance.
With their support, nations around the world have made the transition from war to peace. And many of those countries now contribute peacekeepers themselves — using their experiences to help others in need. We must ensure this essential global resource can thrive over the long term.
En ces temps difficiles et tendus, cela signifie qu’il faut adapter le maintien de la paix aux nouvelles réalités. Les missions de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies sont confrontées à des situations complexes dans un monde complexe: le terrorisme, une criminalité qui ne connaît pas de frontières; et la désinformation qui les rend vulnérables aux attaques. Le Pacte pour l’avenir –adopté l’année dernière aux Nations Unies– comprend un engagement à adapter nos efforts de paix à un monde en mutation.
La première étape –une revue des opérations de paix de l’ONU– est en cours. Et nous continueront à travailler avec les États membres, et d’autres, pour obtenir des résultats. Nous le devons aux femmes et aux hommes courageux qui ont servi –et péri– sous notre drapeau bleu.
Today, as we honour the fallen, we also celebrate the achievements of peacekeepers in the past, present and future. Including critical role of women in preventing, securing and maintaining peace. This was recognized by the United Nations Security Council 25 years ago in resolution 1325 (2000). A quarter of a century on, it is a miserable truth that women are still routinely excluded and marginalized in peace processes.
United Nations has made determined efforts to change this: To build diverse and inclusive teams, and to support, protect and empower women in areas where we work.
Today we recognize two leading women: Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana, the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year; and Superintendent Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone, the UN Woman Police Officer of the Year. The Military Gender Advocate of the Year award recognizes dedication and effort in promoting the principles of resolution 1325 (2000).
And Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme demonstrates these qualities in abundance. As the Military Gender Adviser in the Interim Security Force for Abyei, her outreach has built strong community links, and brought gender perspective in the field. Her work helped us to better understand the concerns of women and girls, and to craft possible solutions, together.
That has played a vital role in enabling the Force to respond to the needs of the local community. And she has also conducted an intensive health campaign for the local community on gender-based violence and ending child marriage. These have had a long-lasting impact. Thank you, Squadron Leader, for your service.
The UN Woman Police Officer of the Year award celebrates role models in peace operations. And UN Police Officer Superintendent Zainab Gbla is certainly that. She has served in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) for the past two years, in the dual role of gender officer and police trainer. When she arrived, the area in which she served had no place for children to learn.
And so, she got to work: Initiating a school programme, providing educational materials and support, particularly for disadvantaged children, and establishing a mentorship programme for girls. She initiated projects to provide women with sustainable incomes, allowing them to provide for their families and send their children to school in a nearby town. And as a police trainer, she taught a diverse range of subjects vital to establishing the rule of law. Thank you, Superintendent, for everything you have done.
The efforts of these outstanding women have helped to strengthen the bonds between the Abyei mission and the local community — an invaluable gift for any peacekeeping operation. Let me offer my heartfelt congratulations to both of you for your achievements, and for receiving these awards today. I am deeply proud of you both, just as I am proud of all our peacekeepers — past, present and future.
Our peacekeepers selflessly serve the world. Let us ensure we serve them, in honour of their service and sacrifice — today and every day.