Two Indian peacekeepers were honoured posthumously by the United Nations for their ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty as the world body commemorated the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh, who served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, who was deployed with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), were recognized for their bravery and dedication.
Dag Hammarskjold Medal Awarded
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres posthumously awarded them the prestigious Dag Hammarskjold Medal for their sacrifice. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, received the medal on behalf of the families of the fallen peacekeepers during a solemn ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York.
International Day of UN Peacekeepers
The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is observed annually on May 29, paying homage to the Blue Helmets who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in peacekeeping missions worldwide. This year, the UN Headquarters observed the day on June 5, beginning with the Secretary-General laying a wreath in honour of fallen peacekeepers at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site. Guterres then presided over the ceremony where the Dag Hammarskjold Medal was awarded posthumously to 68 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers, including 59 who died last year.
India's Contribution to UN Peacekeeping
India is the second largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping, currently providing over 4,200 military and police personnel, including 155 women, to missions in Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, the Middle East, Somalia, South Sudan, and Western Sahara. Nearly 180 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, the highest number from any troop-contributing country.
The UN General Assembly established the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in 2002, selecting May 29 as it marks the day in 1948 when the Security Council established the first UN peacekeeping operation, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation in the Middle East. Currently, over 50,000 civilians, military, and police peacekeepers serve under the UN flag in some of the world's most complex environments, where conflicts are increasingly fragmented and shaped by emerging threats such as the misuse of digital tools and the spread of harmful information. A total of 118 countries contribute uniformed personnel to 11 peacekeeping missions.
Theme for 2026: 'Invest in Peace'
The theme for this year's Day of UN Peacekeepers is 'Invest in Peace'. In his address, Guterres stated that UN Peacekeeping has proven to be one of the international community's most effective responses to conflict. He emphasized that peacekeepers continue to face peril in the cause of peace and expressed humility in posthumously bestowing the Dag Hammarskjold Medal to 68 peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice. The fallen peacekeepers came from 33 countries, diverse in background but united in the cause of peace. Guterres said, 'They represent the best of humanity — people prepared to risk everything to keep others safe. To their families and friends here today: we mourn with you. And we vow to honour your loved ones in the best way we know how: by carrying forward the mission to which they devoted their lives.'
