UN honours nationals of 44 countries killed while serving in peacekeeping missions

The United Nations today honoured the nationals of 44 countries who had lost their lives while serving in UN peacekeeping missions.

In a ceremony this afternoon at UN Headquarters in New York, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean Marie Guéhenno, presented representatives from 44 Member States with the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal in solemn commemoration of each country's first peacekeeping fatality.

The rest of the Medals, awarded to military, civilian police and civilian personnel, will be transferred to the countries' Permanent Missions following the ceremony.

The 682 Medals presented today bring to 1,723 the total awarded for peacekeeping fatalities. Two previous ceremonies were held in March and April.