For 75 years United Nations Peacekeepers have labored to bring peace in the world's most fragile political and security situations.
Out of the 122 contributing countries, Ghana has been ranked 7th with 2756 peacekeepers as of February 2023 by the United Nations (UN).
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For these reasons, International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed each year on May 29th to honor their selflessness and courage. The theme for this year's celebration is "Peace Begins with Me" which seeks to honor peacekeepers, past and present, who have served and sacrificed their lives serving under the United Nations flag.
To mark this year's 75th anniversary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integrations, in partnership with other stakeholders, including the United Nations, held a commemoration ceremony at the forecourt of the State House.
Speaking at the ceremony, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Charles Abani commended the tremendous contributions of Ghana and Ghanaian peacekeepers in peacekeeping missions.
He said "Ghana has demonstrated unwavering commitment, providing troops, police officers, and civilian personnel to numerous operations across different continents. Out of the 122 contributing countries, Ghana ranks number 7 with 2756 peacekeepers as of February 2023."
He commended Captain Cecilia Erzuah of Ghana who served as a peacekeeper with the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) and was awarded the 2022 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year.
Abani also highlighted the efforts of the United Nations and the strides that the UN has taken to strengthen and promote peacekeeping.
He said "From the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in the Middle East, the United Nations peacekeeping operations are a true testament to multilateralism at its best."
He further went on to thank Ghana for accepting to host the Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference for the first time in Africa later in December this year.