The United Nations held a ceremony on May 28, a day before the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, to commemorate the 93 peacekeepers who died last year. Representatives from 38 countries received a UN medal on their behalf to honor their services.

 

Assistant UN Secretary-General for peacekeeping Hedi Annabi presented the UN Peacekeeping medals to representatives from 38 nations in the Dag Hammerskjoeld Library Auditorium. On behalf of the United Nations, Annabi paid tribute to the 93 UN peacekeepers who died last year. Chinese military officer Fu Qingli was among those honored with the peacekeeping medal. He lost his life in a UN peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. China has participated in 15 UN peacekeeping missions around the world.

 

Wang Guangya, Permanent Representative to UN, said, "China is one of the founding members of the UN. It is also a permanent member of the UN. China will continue to support the UN and actively participate in UN peacekeeping missions."

 

More than 2,300 military officers and 250 civilian police officers have been assigned to various UN missions. Five Chinese military officers have sacrificed their lives during UN peacekeeping missions since 1990.

 

The Dag Hammarskjoeld Medal was set up in 2002 to honor personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty during UN peacekeeping missions. Dag Hammarskjoeld was the second UN Secretary-General. He died in a plane crash in 1961 during a peacekeeping mission in Congo.

 

(CCTV.com May 29, 2004)