A Cambodian Peacekeeper To Be Honoured Posthumously At UN Ceremony

Phnom Penh, May 29, 2024 --

Lt. Col. PHOEUK Chivorn, a fallen Cambodian peacekeeper who served with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) will be honoured posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjold medal tomorrow.

This ceremony will be held at the UN Headquarters to observe the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

In 1948, the historic decision was made to deploy military observers to the Middle East to supervise the implementation of Israel-Arab Armistice Agreements, in what became the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation.

Since that time, more than two million peacekeepers from 125 countries have since served in 71 operations around the world. Today, some 76,000 women and men are serving in 11 conflict zones across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Cambodia currently deploys more than 600 uniformed personnel to the UN peace operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, and South Sudan.

During formal ceremonies at the UN Headquarters, Secretary-General, António Guterres, will lay a wreath to honour all UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948. He will also preside over a ceremony in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, at which Dag Hammarskjöld Medals will be awarded posthumously to 64 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers, who lost their lives serving under the UN flag, including 61 who perished last year.

The Secretary-General will also present the 2023 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award to Major Radhika Sen, a military officer from India, who served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).