Our world is full of dangers and threats, the main source of which is most often the people themselves who inhabit it. Wars, political conflicts, terrorist attacks - all this affects nervous system ordinary citizens and destabilizes the situation on Earth even in terms of emotional peace. But, fortunately, there are representatives of Homo Sapiens who are directly involved in the restoration and preservation of peace and security on the planet, as well as within a particular region. Their name is UN peacekeepers. The professional holiday of these specialists falls annually on May 29.
History of the holiday International Day of UN Peacekeepers
The International Day of UN Peacekeepers has been in effect for 12 years. It came into force in 2002, when the General Assembly declared May 29 as the official date of the above holiday. The world began to celebrate the latter only in 2003 as a day of remembrance for peacekeepers who devoted their entire lives to the struggle for peace and justice. The International Day of UN Peacekeepers also applies to those who continue to fulfill their mission for the benefit of society. The International Day of UN Peacekeepers is intended to draw everyone's attention to courageous specialists, their dedication to their work, responsibility and conscientious performance of professional duty, often to the detriment of their own health and time. This holiday is a great opportunity to pay tribute to UN peacekeepers: past, future and present.
The decision to choose a specific date for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers was influenced by another important fact: on May 29, 1948, the United Nations Security Council established the first program to implement peacekeeping goals. Since then, the UN's activities in this vein - to support security - throughout the planet have undergone a lot of changes, many of which are exclusively positive.
Every year, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers is celebrated under a different theme. Last year, in 2013, it read as follows: “UN peacekeeping forces: adapting to new challenges.” On this moment There are actually 16 operations on the planet aimed at maintaining the safety of citizens and restoring peace. More than 100 thousand police and military personnel take part in the process of peacekeeping actions. It should be noted that the most important and largest operations to date are taking place today in Democratic Republic Congo and Sudan. More than 20 thousand people are involved in them. Those peacekeepers who literally laid down their lives in the field of their activities are awarded posthumously. For this purpose, the UN established a special Dag Hammarskjöld medal. So she was named after the second Secretary General United Nations, who died in 1961 while implementing peacekeeping operations in Congo.
Features of the profession
The holiday of May 29, International Day of UN Peacekeepers, is a great opportunity to talk about the heroes of the occasion.
Persons involved in establishing order on the planet in the sense of preserving and maintaining public safety are called “blue helmets.” The activities of UN peacekeepers are multifaceted and today much more complex than before. In addition to maintaining peace and security throughout the world, the tasks of the Blue Helmets include:
- providing assistance in demobilization and disarmament processes;
- implementation of human rights protection and promotion of this idea;
- organization of elections;
- protection of citizens;
- promotion of political processes;
- implementing reforms in the judicial system and political subdivisions;
- promoting ideas for demining territories;
- providing assistance to refugees in returning them to their homeland.
As you can see, peacekeepers have plenty of functions, and they solve these issues efficiently. At least they are making every effort to do so. Of course, the activities of the “blue helmets” are very, very dangerous. Their lives are constantly under threat. And the point is not only that the work of peacekeepers has a direct connection with being in “hot spots”, it’s just that the employees of this UN unit carry out the duties assigned to them, being completely unarmed. It costs them nothing to be captured, die by being blown up by a mine or dying from a bullet. That's the point labor activity“blue helmets” - to be for the local population, ordinary citizens who have become hostages of the situation, something like “guardian angels”, capable of giving people at least the slightest sense of security. And, I must say, for their dedicated work these professionals receive considerable gratitude: sincere gratitude from mere mortals, expressed in happy smiles, warm words coming from the heart, tears and even kisses.
The profession of peacemaker places quite high demands on the candidate to master it. Firstly, it is stress resistance, absolute mental health. Secondly, diplomacy, sociability, psychological preparation, since the activity of a peacekeeper involves working and communicating with people who find themselves in a difficult situation, practically trapped, as well as with bandits and terrorists. Thirdly, a high level of adaptation to harsh and changing conditions, unpretentiousness. Well, of course, only a brave, bold, courageous person who is not afraid of difficulties and does not give in to danger of any rank can become a peacemaker. Great importance has the physical training of “blue helmets”, because living and working conditions are expected to be difficult, leaving much to be desired. With their work, peacekeepers have earned their holiday, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
Peacekeepers in Russia
Our country takes a fairly active part in operations aimed at preserving and maintaining global security. This can be traced throughout the history of domestic peacekeeping forces. So in March 1992, Russian “blue helmets” went to the former Yugoslavia, where, by decision of the Supreme Council of Russia, they became part of the UN forces. The withdrawal of peacekeepers from Bosnia occurred only 11 years later - on June 14, 2003. During the entire operation, more than 20 servicemen lost their lives.
On June 13, 1999, 3.6 thousand domestic peacekeepers were sent to Kosovo. The operation ended in the same 2003 at the cost of the death of employees. There were trips to Liberia (2003), and to Sierra Leone (2000), and to other points. And everywhere the operations were successful thanks to the professionalism of the “blue helmets” and their leadership.
The Russian Federation is a member of the UN Security Council, therefore, like other members of this organization, it is responsible for maintaining peace on the planet and restoring and maintaining order. But the “blue helmets” play a special role in the CIS. The Russian military, performing the function of peacekeepers, is part of the peacekeeping contingent of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. This announcement was created in 2007 with the aim of maintaining security within the states that are members of the CSTO.
Protecting peace is a truly meaningful and distinguished profession. Its importance is determined based on the main requirement of civilization - security and development. There is no security - and development, in its essence, is impossible. In turn, if there is no development, security problems may well arise. To perform the function of ensuring security outside the country, a peacekeeping contingent is responsible, which receives an appropriate international mandate, including a mandate at the level of regional agreements.
Since 2016 in the Armed Forces Russian Federation November 25 is celebrated new holiday – Day of the Russian Military Peacekeeper(not to be confused with International Peacemaker Day). It was established by a corresponding decree of the President of the Russian Federation in August last year.
The historical reference of the holiday goes to November 25, 1973 - the day when the first group of Soviet officers, consisting of 36 people, arrived in Egypt to participate in resolving the flaring Arab-Israeli crisis. Soviet peacekeepers were officially included in the United Nations mission. Military personnel of the USSR Armed Forces were involved in a group of observers to observe the truce regime in the Suez Canal area, as well as in the Golan Heights.
Witnesses of the dispatch of the first Soviet peacekeeping contingent as part of a UN mission abroad indicate that the choice Soviet Union approached with special responsibility. The selection of officers was carried out from five thousand applicants. They were chosen according to a number of criteria, including not only “difference in military and political,” but also knowledge of a foreign language. First of all, preference was given to military personnel fluent in Arabic.
After 1973, the scope of the involvement of domestic peacekeepers expanded. These are missions in Lebanon, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, etc. After the collapse of the USSR, Russian peacekeepers took part in the work of international missions in the republics of the former Yugoslavia, Georgia, and Tajikistan.
For a quarter of a century, Russian military personnel have been ensuring peace on the banks of the Dniester. Despite all the attempts of individual Moldovan politicians to push the Russian contingent out of Transnistria, the servicemen of the MS of the Russian Armed Forces take their positions with the sole purpose of preventing war from breaking out again on the Dniester. Unfortunately, Russian peacekeepers, like the entire people of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, today find themselves virtually under blockade. In order to carry out the rotation, to deliver everything necessary to the peacekeeping base, every time we have to go to real political battles - so that the battles do not ultimately turn into military ones. It is obvious that there are many hotheads in Chisinau who still believe that the crisis can be overcome with a “small victorious war” against Transnistria.
Russian peacekeepers also kept peace in Transcaucasia. Mixed peacekeeping forces contributed to ending the Georgian-Ossetian conflict on the territory of South Ossetia in 1992. At that time, Russian peacekeepers had to make a lot of efforts to preserve the mechanism of mixed forces for maintaining peace in the zone of military confrontation. The reason for the obvious difficulties of the Russian mission in Georgia was that the Georgian contingent carried out open activities to discredit the peacekeepers of the MS of the Russian armed forces. Official Tbilisi did everything to present Russian military personnel as persons “violating with their presence in South Ossetia international law" Everyone remembers very well what this resulted in in the end.
By personal order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Georgian Armed Forces, President Mikheil Saakashvili, on August 8, 2008, Georgian troops attacked not only the sleeping Tskhinvali, but also the location of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. On the eve of that aggression, Georgian observers left the headquarters, and the battalion, together with regular troops that invaded the city, opened fire on Tskhinvali and on the positions of the Russian MS. International commissions and eyewitnesses subsequently confirmed that the very first shells exploded precisely near the location of Russian peacekeepers. Russian and Ossetian forces had to take defensive positions and fight, protecting civilians. And only thanks to holding military operation By forcing the aggressor to peace, the actual extermination of the Ossetian people in the Republic of South Ossetia was stopped.
This is one example of how individual politicians, trying to play bloody games in the interests of their proteges, try to dispose of some peacekeeping contingents as executioners and others as hostages.
These days, options for a resolution on a peacekeeping mission in Donbass are being discussed.
The essence of the Ukrainian version of the document is that peacekeepers should be stationed throughout the entire territory of Donbass, including the section of the Russian-Ukrainian border not controlled by Ukraine. In turn, Moscow insists that the functions of the contingent be limited only to protecting OSCE observers on the border of Ukraine with the unrecognized republics - in the Minsk-2 format.
If we take into account the very essence of peacekeeping missions, then the Ukrainian proposal is inherently flawed. The place of peacekeepers is not in the rear of one of the parties to the conflict, but on the line of confrontation. They are not border guards to stand on the border between Donbass and Russia, nor occupation troops to occupy the entire territory of the republic. Many political observers agree on this point, but their opinions differ on another issue.
Is the presence of peacekeepers really necessary in the conflict zone between Ukraine and the republics of the DPR and LPR? Of course, it is impossible to judge unequivocally today. It is also clear that Russia wants to stop the war, to stop the casualties and destruction. But it is impossible not to calculate the actions on the part of the West, which may try to push peacekeeping forces precisely to the border between Russia and the unrecognized republics. And this at the same time means a change in Russia’s status in the internal Ukrainian conflict. The parties to the conflict are no longer the DPR and LPR, on the one hand, and Kyiv, on the other, but Russia and Ukraine. That is, what Mr. Poroshenko is trying to achieve, what is being said across the Atlantic, becomes, as it were, a “fact”: “Russia is an aggressor.”
IN last years international terrorism has become perhaps the most dangerous problem for the inhabitants of the Earth in its scale and consequences. All states unite to fight against him.
Fight against terrorism
There is also a memorable Day of Russian Peacekeeping Forces. The date was set as a sign of respect for the services of military professionals in preventing and eliminating clashes and the security of our state.
But, unfortunately, few people know what date Russian Peacekeeping Forces Day is marked on our calendar.
Peacekeeping activities
Russia is a peace-loving country, and priority Russian politics- it is always peacemaking.
A manifestation of this policy are Russia’s successful peacekeeping interventions in Transnistria, in the republics of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Tajikistan, where it was the Russian army that prevented mutual unjustified massacres, and then convinced the conflicting parties of the need for peaceful coexistence.
Peacekeeping activities in the CIS are a significant condition for the integrity and stability of Russia and ultimately serve to maintain internal order in the state. Therefore, all its citizens should know the Day of the Russian Peacekeeping Forces.
The Russian peacekeeping force was created as a result of almost two years of open confrontation with arms in hand between Abkhazia and Georgia.
In April 1994, at the Council of Heads of State of the CIS, by agreement of the warring parties, a decision was made on readiness to send peacekeeping forces from military units CIS countries. At the beginning of June, the President of the Russian Federation issued a Decree on cooperation of the Russian military contingent in the CIS peacekeeping enterprise in the regions of Abkhazia bordering Georgia.
Establishment of a day of remembrance
This day is considered the day of creation of the Commonwealth Collective Peacekeeping Forces independent states and is called the Day of Russian Peacekeeping Forces. What else do you need to know about this?
From the moment the CIS KSKF was formed and the Day of Russian Peacekeeping Forces (June 21) began to be celebrated, Russian peacekeepers have come a remarkable way, creating conditions for maintaining sustainable peace. And thus they won great respect and goodwill from the population.
Due to the presence of Russian peacekeepers, the armed conflict, as a result of which the opposing sides lost more than seven thousand people, was stopped. And a lot of work has been done to prevent the outbreak of armed clashes, fragmentary demining of the area, and providing assistance to the local population in settling their lives after the end of hostilities.
The interruption of the armed confrontation was costly - the price for peace was dozens of lives of Russian soldiers. Therefore, the memorable Day of the Russian Peacekeeping Forces has earned the right to exist.
Peacekeepers and the population
Any military action brings grief and pain to people.
And the presence of peacekeepers is perhaps the only hope that the senseless mutual beating will finally be stopped.
Ordinary people are far from national antagonism and political claims. On Russian Peacekeeping Forces Day, it is good to remember that peace and quiet are immeasurably more important. The future of children is what must always be put first. And therefore, on the Day of Russian Peacekeeping Forces (June 21), congratulations and warm words are addressed to these courageous people.
While in the conflict zone, peacekeepers also carry out humanitarian tasks.
Residents of the entire district turn to KSPM commanders and military personnel every single day on various issues.
Throughout the region has gained peacekeepers good reputation qualified medical care for civilians from professional military doctors with experience in “hot spots”.
People understand that peacekeeping forces bring peace to the population of this land, and Russian peacekeepers are the only guarantor of lasting calm in this region.
In today's complex world, situations often arise when there are threats of various armed conflicts. To limit them, extinguish them and perform various tasks, specially trained forces are needed. This is exactly what peacemakers are.
Their main task is to stand guard for the benefit of peace and stability of the entire planet Earth. International holiday in their honor is necessary to draw attention to the value of the activities carried out not only by military personnel and police, but also by civilian employees of the organization.
Story
Reconciling warring parties and establishing dialogue, alleviating the suffering of the population, and restoring infrastructure are the main goals of peacekeeping missions. At all times, such actions have always been in demand in many parts of the world. They are carried out faithfully and selflessly by people in blue helmets.
This is interesting:
- 1948 The UN Security Council approved the first such mission. She was few in number. And now its ranks number more than 125 thousand people.
- 1988 For its efforts in maintaining peace and exemplary performance of its duties, the UN Armed Forces were awarded the Nobel Prize.
- 1992 To coordinate all planned actions and operations, it was decided to create the DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations).
- 2002 The UN General Assembly approved a resolution in which a day was officially chosen on the calendar to honor peacekeepers.
- 2006 A Peacebuilding Commission was established to assist countries during the transition from war to reconstruction.
Peacekeepers carry out not only operations aimed at ensuring compliance with ceasefire agreements and disengagement of warring parties, disarmament and mine clearance programs. They deliver humanitarian aid, ensure law and order during elections, and protect the rights of citizens.
Russia, under the auspices of the UN, has always taken an active part in the peaceful resolution of conflict situations in many countries. Russian peacekeepers (military and observers) were sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Liberia. Our contingent in Sudan, Chad and other places fulfilled their assigned tasks with dignity.
Traditions
On the eve of the holiday, a message from the UN Secretary General is traditionally published. Conferences are held at global and state venues, where reports are heard on the tasks completed over the past year, on the achievements and losses incurred.
Wreaths are laid and speeches are made in memory of those who died in the line of duty. They are posthumously awarded a special medal, which was established in honor of the deceased UN leader. Each year, attention is focused on a specific topic.
In accordance with this, public organizations and activists organize various events. These include special television programs about operations carried out in the past, and documentaries about new heroes. The media publishes interesting materials about women peacekeepers.
Cultural centers hold educational lectures for children, youth and older people. They are a motivation for participating in actions to collect and send food, medical and essential goods to areas with civil unrest and pogroms, ethnic and military conflicts.
On November 25, 2018, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will celebrate a new holiday - the Day of the Russian Military Peacekeeper, established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin of August 1, 2018. Protecting peace is an important and serious profession. Military peacekeepers are responsible for the security of Russia. Therefore, the holiday is only the smallest thing that the government could give to representatives of this profession.
In August 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin established a new holiday - the Day of the Russian Military Peacekeeper. The date of the celebration was chosen for a reason; it was on November 25, 1973 that a Russian group of military personnel flew to Egypt to resolve the acute Arab-Israeli conflict. Soviet peacekeepers became part of the UN mission. Russian military peacekeepers actively monitored the truce in the Suez Canal and the Golan Heights.
The government carefully selected the people who became part of the Soviet peacekeeping contingent with the UN and went on missions abroad. Out of 1,500 officers, only 36 people were selected. To get into the ranks of peacekeepers, it was not enough to be an excellent officer, you had to know foreign languages(fluent in Arabic), have certain qualities and be a patriot of your country.
Over time, more and more people wanted to join the detachment of Russian military peacekeepers. After a short period of time, missions took place in:
- Angola;
- Cambodia;
- Lebanon;
- Sudan;
- Sierra Leone;
- Democratic Republic of the Congo;
- former Yugoslavia;
- Georgia;
- Tajikistan.
For 50 years, Russian military peacekeepers have been keeping order on the banks of the Dniester. Despite the fact that the Moldovan government has tried more than once to expel the Russian Armed Forces from Transnistria, the military personnel confidently withstand the blow and monitor the maintenance of peace. However, every year it becomes more and more difficult to hold on to the war; in fact, the peacekeepers found themselves under blockade.
Thanks to Russian military peacekeepers, it was possible to:
- keep peace in Transcaucasia;
- peacekeeping activities on the Tajik-Afghan border;
- resolution of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict;
- maintaining peace in Burundi;
- maintaining peace in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic;
- end the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.
Serious difficulties in carrying out the mission arose in Georgia; the Georgian government neglected the peaceful intentions of the Russian Armed Forces. Georgian officials tried to expose Russian troops persons who violate international laws.
At the moment, the question of fulfilling the mission of Russian military peacekeepers in the territory of Donbass is acutely raised. However, Ukraine and Russia cannot come to a common agreement, so there are more questions than answers.
Traditions of celebrating the Day of the Russian Military Peacekeeper
The day of the Russian military peacekeeper is important professional holiday, created for people who are responsible for security and also worthily represent Russia in many parts of the world. In 2018, the holiday will be celebrated on November 25, Sunday. Traditionally, on this day, senior management rewards the best military personnel with awards, certificates, diplomas, gives out bonuses, and also thanks them for their excellent service.
At home, the officers are waited by their relatives who prepare a festive buffet, pleasant congratulations, and symbolic gifts.
