MINUSCA held a ceremony to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on Saturday, 29 May 2021, at the Mission’s headquarters in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR). Commemorated under the theme, “The road to a lasting peace: Leveraging the power of youth for peace and security”, this year’s celebrations are shining a light on the essential contributions of youth to peacekeeping.

In his speech, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the CAR Mankeur Ndiaye, saluted “the dedication of MINUSCA’s young peacekeepers who are devoted to peace and the protection of the most vulnerable”.

He paid tribute to all civilian, police and military personnel for their invaluable contribution to the work of the United Nations globally: “MINUSCA’s execution of the various tasks provided for in resolution 2552 was only possible thanks to the unfailing commitment of the 14,986 MINUSCA personnel, namely 1,478 civilians, including 566 Central Africans, a 11,451-strong Force and 2,057 UN Police.”

The MINUSCA Chief also paid homage to the blue helmets who gave their lives in the service of the noble cause of peace and stability under the UN flag: “Some of them have lost their lives on the front lines, such as our seven peacekeepers who fell during clashes with coalition rebels in Bangui, Dekoa, Grimari and Bangassou, but also as a result of Covid-19 and other diseases and accidents.”

The Mission’s young peacekeepers were hailed for their role in contributing to MINUSCA’s mandate of protecting the civilian population, such as the community liaison officers described as “the real interface between the peacekeepers and the communities in the interior of the country and whose role is crucial in the early warning and prevention system”. Youth representatives have been involved in developing security strategies; they also worked to increase voter turnout in recent elections.

“MINUSCA will continue its engagement with Central African youth to push the peace agenda,” reaffirmed Mankeur Ndiaye, while calling on “all civilian, police and military personnel to remain committed to our tasks, to work with dedication, professionalism and respect for the values of the United Nations”.

For his part, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, expressed his “deep gratitude to the 85,000 civilian, police and military personnel currently deployed in some of the world’s most challenging hotspots to protect the vulnerable and help build peace”. He added: “In all countries where our peacekeepers are deployed, peace can only be achieved with the active participation of young people.”

The International Day of UN Peacekeepers honors the more than one million women and men who have served on the frontlines of conflict and the more than 4,000 who have given their lives in the line of duty.