New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): On the occasion of International Day of UN Peacekeepers, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar paid tribute to the dedication and courage of all the men and women serving in UN peacekeeping operations, and honoured the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar wrote, "On the International Day of @UN Peacekeepers, salute the courage and dedication of the brave men and women who carry out @UNPeacekeeping around the world. Honor especially the memory of those who have made the supreme sacrifice in the cause of peace."Every day, United Nations peacekeepers work to protect hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in the world's most fragile political and security situations.

The International Day of UN Peacekeepers on 29 May is an opportunity to recognize the service and sacrifice of the more than one million personnel who have served under the blue flag since 1948. It is also a chance to honour the memory of the more than 4,000 peacekeepers who lost their lives in the cause of peace.

This year, the United Nations will mark the occasion under the theme, "People Peace Progress: The Power of Partnerships."On Sunday, the UN Peacekeeping also thanked all those who work with us in the pursuit of peace, including other UN entities, humanitarians, the communities we serve, women and youth, media, academia, traditional and faith-based leaders, host governments, Troop and Police Contributing Countries, Member States, and many others.

It issued a call to action by joining UN Peacekeeping's campaign online and on the ground and highlighted the stories of peacekeeping and the power of partnerships that help us secure peace, progress and sustainable development.

The General Assembly, in its resolution 57/129, designated 29 May as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. This is the date when in 1948 the first UN peacekeeping mission named the "United Nations Truce Supervision Organization", or UNTSO, began operations in Palestine.

Since the first UN Peacekeeping mission was established in 1948, 3,800 military, police and civilian personnel have lost their lives in the service of peace as a result of acts of violence, accidents and disease. On 29 May, UN offices, alongside the Member States and non-governmental organizations, hold solemn events to honour fallen peacekeepers. (ANI)