UN Peacekeepers Day 2026 - Press Conference | United Nations

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said “The work of our peacekeepers matters. It is worth defending. Peacekeeping is worth the investment.” Addressing the press on the occasion of the celebration of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Lacroix said, “At this moment, UN peacekeeping's entire budget, which is 5.38 billion dollars - that's the budget for one year. The same amount is spent in 16 hours - one six - on global military spending, so it's not even a full day. And if you want another measure, the budget of peacekeeping for one year for all operations is less than half the amount it costs to organize the upcoming FIFA World Cup.” He continued, “It's a fact that the cost of supporting peacekeeping is far lower than the cost of responding when conflict spirals out of control, and therefore I call on this International Day of Peacekeeping is clear: Let us invest in peace. We need the political and financial backing of member states. We need parties to conflict to uphold international humanitarian law and the UN Charter. We need the support from all those who can hold their governments accountable for their actions.” He stated, “Peace does not happen by accident. It requires political will, sustained support, and investment.” Answering a question, he said, “UNIFIL - and whatever may come next, if anything - it's about supporting. It's about supporting Lebanese people; it's about supporting political efforts. This is really what peacekeeping is about, and that applies also to Lebanon.” Addressing the press virtually from Goma, Sergeant Matías Reyes, who serves at the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) spoke about his experience in January 2025, when he rescued wounded Congolese soldiers seeking refuge at a MONUSCO base. He said, “Dozens of soldiers of the FARDC who have been wounded sought refuge and medical assistance. When I saw them in that situation I acted immediately. I carried on my shoulders 12 of these Congolese soldiers who were severely wounded and I took them to a safe area within the base where a medical tent was located. At that time, I did not think of myself, or of the risks involved. I was deeply worried about their lives because I knew that each second could have made a difference.” Earlier this morning, Sergeant Matías Reyes received the Mbaye Diagne Medal. Answering a journalist’s question, Major Abhilasha Barak of India, who serves at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and named the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year, said, “Talks should take place; diplomacy should come to action and hopefully the ceasefire will continue. And then we can move on to rebuilding, not just physically with their roads and destructed homes, but also the post trauma, which they are going under, so we must work on that as a community, as a government, and as peacekeepers, and rebuild Lebanon.” Police Inspector Stephanie Königs, winner of this year’s Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, served at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) She shared with the press what it takes to have an impact and emphasised the need for more woman in the field. She explained, “Going out in the field, it's very obvious that half of the population is women, so it's for them much more comfortable to talk to a woman police officer, and to share their concerns, their opinions, their perspectives. So, these conversations, they are not just nice: they shape what we are doing on the ground in our operational daily life.” Today, more than 51,000 civilians, military, and police personnel serve in 11 UN peacekeeping missions, confronting increasingly complex and interconnected challenges shaped by a shifting geopolitical landscape. In this era of rising tensions, peacekeeping is a proven and cost-effective way to restore stability and hope. The International Day pays tribute to their unwavering service and sacrifice, as well as the resilience of the communities they support. It also solemnly honors the nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace, including 59 in 2025 alone.


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