António Guterres(UN Secretary-General) on the…

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Moments ago, I laid a wreath to commemorate the nearly 4,500 people who have lost their lives

since the United Nations began its peacekeeping work almost 80 years ago.

Unfortunately, as events of this very week remind us, peacekeepers continue to face peril in the

cause of peace – and we pay the highest tribute to their service and sacrifice.

Please join me in a moment of silence to honour their memory.

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Thank you.

The world recently marked Peacekeepers day.

Across the globe, the UN Blue Helmet is a symbol of hope for communities in their darkest hour.

UN Peacekeeping has proven to be one of the international community's most effective

responses to conflict.

As we meet, more than 50,000 peacekeepers are deployed across the globe, protecting civilian

lives.

They are curbing violence, enabling political solutions, supporting elections, delivering

humanitarian assistance, clearing landmines, and so much more.

Thanks to the dedication of our troop contributing countries, more than two million women and

men have served in 71 peacekeeping missions on four continents.

They do so in the face of acute danger, displaying levels of bravery and initiative that stir the

heart.

Today, it is my privilege to present four sets of awards recognizing the spirit of peacekeeping.

I am humbled to posthumously bestow the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal to 68 peacekeepers who

have made the ultimate sacrifice, including 59 killed last year.

They came from 33 countries: diverse in background, but united in the cause of peace.

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.

Excellencies, Dear Friends,

We will now recognize two recipients of the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional

Courage.

The distinction bears the name of a Senegalese peacekeeper who, in 1994, sacrificed his life in

Rwanda while saving countless others.

It has only been bestowed three times before.

The first honouree is the late Sergii Prykhodko of Ukraine.

He was a private contractor with a helicopter crew who served with UNMISS, the UN Mission in

South Sudan.

In March 2025, when a high-risk air evacuation needed to be carried out in Upper Nile State, he

volunteered to take the place of a less experienced colleague.

The mission – to extract a group of besieged soldiers – was part of a wider effort to de-escalate

tensions and prevent further violence in the region.

Despite receiving assurance of safe passage, the helicopter came under heavy fire – killing Sergii

and injuring two crewmates.

Sergii's wife and daughter are here with us today.

I want you to know that over the course of his career Sergii helped to save many lives.

He died in the act of saving more.

He will long be remembered by his colleagues in South Sudan, and by the entire United Nations

family.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We also will bestow the Diagne Medal on Sergeant Matías Reyes of Uruguay, who serves with

MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In January 2025, Sergeant Reyes was stationed in Goma where he witnessed fierce clashes

between army soldiers and M23 rebels.

Some of the Congolese troops surrendered their weapons and sought refuge at the peacekeepers'

base – but not all could make it on their own.

While helping to secure the entrance, Sergeant Reyes repeatedly went out to retrieve the

wounded men.

Under heavy gunfire, he carried them, one-by-one, on his back to safety.

Thanks to his efforts, 12 gravely injured soldiers received medical assistance at the

peacekeepers' makeshift hospital.

Those men owe him their lives.

Sergeant Reyes joins us online from Goma, where he continues to serve with MONUSCO.

Sergeant, you are a credit to the United Nations, and we are proud to call you a colleague. You

have our everlasting gratitude and respect.

Excellencies, Dear Friends,

Today, we also celebrate two trailblazing women peacekeepers.

Our UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year, Major Abhilasha Barak of India, and our UN

Woman Police Officer of the Year: Inspector Stephanie Königs of Germany.

Major Barak is deployed with UNIFIL, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, where a number of

peacekeepers have recently been injured or killed.

As Engagement Team Commander and Gender Focal Point within the Indian Battalion, she

works to ensure that every aspect of the operation respects and serves the needs of women and

other vulnerable groups.

As a frontline commander, she has engaged thousands of women and girls through vocational

training and programmes for education and health.

She has built trust with local communities. Created space for dialogue. And helped develop

early-warning networks that strengthen the mission's ability to protect civilians.

Her work shows the critical role that UNIFIL plays for local communities – and how its presence

is transforming the lives of women and girls, even under the most challenging circumstances.

Major Barak, you are a role model to those you serve – and those you serve with.

Congratulations, and thank you for your service.

Excellencies, Dear Friends,

We also recognize Inspector Stephanie Königs.

While deployed with UNMISS from September 2024 to March 2026, Inspector Königs served as

a Police Adviser, as well as a Patrol Team Leader within the mission's police component.

During a period of heightened political sensitivity and restricted movement in Juba, she led

negotiations with national security forces at multiple checkpoints – navigating tense situations

with confidence and calm, and ensuring the safety of her patrol.

Her efforts enabled peacekeepers to access critical areas, including internally displaced persons

sites, where they provided vulnerable communities with lifesaving support.

Her leadership helped reinforce early-warning mechanisms, supporting vital decision-making

during periods of crisis.

We recognize her professionalism, resilience, and commitment. Her work is an example of our

women officers leading frontline policing even in the most complex and high-risk environments.

Thank you, Inspector, for your example, and on behalf of all the people who have been helped by

your work.

Excellencies, Families and Friends,

I am endlessly inspired by the women and men who wear the UN Blue Helmet.

They are protectors of the vulnerable, and guardians of hope in places where hope is often in

short supply.

I extend my deepest gratitude to the tens of thousands of peacekeepers serving under the UN flag

across the globe.

We stand with them – today and every day – for security, for dignity, and for peace.

Thank you.