“I wish we never had to mourn the loss of colleagues,” Secretary-General António Guterres said at the ceremony held at UN Headquarters in New York to remember 140 personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty between 1 July 2016 and 31 December 2017.
“But the sad fact is that people do lose their lives while serving the United Nations, and it is our duty to honour their service and sacrifice,” he said.
Of the 140 killed, 123 were military personnel; three police; and 14 civilians. They came from 42 nations.
During his remarks, he invited the bereaved families and others in attendance to join him in observing a moment of silence.
Mr. Guterres noted that over the past years, respect for those wearing UN symbols has diminished, making them a target of those who oppose peace “despite all our efforts to ensure the safety and security of our personnel.”
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