UN Celebrates International Day of Peacekeepers and Honors Dedicated Staff

聯合國慶祝國際維和人員日並表彰盡職職員

Jun 5, 2026, 16:10

Introduction

The United Nations recently celebrated the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. The event focused on awarding medals to fallen soldiers and recognizing the outstanding service of personnel from around the world.

聯合國最近慶祝國際維和人員日。該活動重點在於向殉職士兵頒發勳章，並表彰來自世界各地人員的傑出服務。

Main Body

The event began with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres placing a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site to honor about 4,500 people who have died in the line of duty over the last 80 years. During the ceremony, the Dag Hammarskjold Medal was given to 68 personnel from 33 different countries, including 59 who died last year. Two Indian soldiers, Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, were among the recipients, with Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish accepting the awards on behalf of their families.

該活動由秘書長古特雷斯在維和人員紀念地獻花開始，以悼念過去 80 年在執行職務期間殉職的約 4,500 人。在儀式期間，達格·哈瑪舍爾德勳章被授予來自 33 個不同國家的 68 名人員，其中包括 59 位於去年去世的人員。兩名印度士兵，Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh 與 Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan 均在獲獎之列，由大使 Parvathaneni Harish 代表其家屬領獎。

Furthermore, the UN recognized Major Abhilasha Barak of the Indian Army with the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate Award. She was honored for leading the Female Engagement Team in UNIFIL, where she helped create early-warning systems and educational programs for people in need. Other awards included the UN Woman Police Officer of the Year for Germany's Stephanie Konigs, and the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage given to Corporal Matias Reyes and the late Sergii Prykodko.

此外，聯合國授予印度軍方的 Abhilasha Barak 少校 2025 年聯合國軍事性別倡導獎。她因在聯合國黎巴嫩臨時軍（UNIFIL）領導女性參與小組，協助為有需要的人建立預警系統和教育計劃而獲得表彰。其他獎項包括頒給德國 Stephanie Konigs 的聯合國年度優秀女警員，以及頒給 Corporal Matias Reyes 與已故 Sergii Prykodko 的 Mbaye Diagne 卓越勇氣勳章。

Regarding the scale of operations, the UN currently has over 50,000 staff from 118 countries working across 11 missions. India is the second-largest contributor, providing more than 4,200 personnel. However, Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix pointed out a gap in global priorities. He emphasized that the annual peacekeeping budget of $5.38 billion is less than half of what is expected to be spent on the next FIFA World Cup. He also asserted that current conflicts are becoming more complex and are made worse by the spread of digital misinformation.

關於運作規模，聯合國目前有超過 50,000 名來自 118 個國家的職員，在 11 個任務區工作。印度是第二大貢獻國，提供了超過 4,200 名人員。然而，副秘書長 Jean-Pierre Lacroix 指出全球優先事項存在差距。他強調，每年 53.8 億美元的維和預算，不到下次世界盃預計支出的一半。他還斷言，目前的衝突正變得更加複雜，並因數位假訊息的傳播而惡化。

Conclusion

The event ended with a call for member states to provide more political and financial support to ensure that peacekeeping remains effective in dangerous environments.

該活動最後呼籲成員國提供更多政治與財政支持，以確保維和行動在危險環境下依然有效。

Vocabulary Learning

🚀 The 'Complexity Shift': Moving from Simple to Sophisticated

At the A2 level, you describe things simply: "The budget is small. The wars are hard." To reach B2, you need to describe relationships between ideas using advanced connectors and precise verbs.

⚡ The Power Move: 'Contrast and Comparison'

Look at this specific sentence from the text:

"He emphasized that the annual peacekeeping budget... is less than half of what is expected to be spent on the next FIFA World Cup."

Instead of just saying "The World Cup is more expensive," the author uses a comparative structure to create a shocking contrast.

B2 Strategy: Stop using "but" for everything. Use these structures to sound more professional:

The Gap: "There is a gap in [Topic A] compared to [Topic B]."
The Proportion: "[X] is less than half of [Y]."

🛠️ Vocabulary Upgrade: Precision Verbs

B2 speakers don't just use "say" or "do." They use verbs that explain the intent of the speaker. Notice these three from the article:

Asserted $\rightarrow$ (Stronger than 'said'). It means to say something with confidence and force.
Emphasized $\rightarrow$ (Stronger than 'pointed out'). It means to show that something is particularly important.
Recognized $\rightarrow$ (More formal than 'praised'). It means to officially acknowledge someone's achievement.

Quick Transformation Guide:

A2 (Basic)	B2 (Bridge)	Context
He said it's a problem	He asserted that it's a problem	High confidence
He said it's important	He emphasized the importance	Adding focus
They gave her a prize	They recognized her service	Formal honor

🧩 The 'Complex' Modifier

In the text, conflicts aren't just "difficult"; they are "becoming more complex."

Pro Tip: Use Comparative Adjectives + State Verbs (e.g., becoming, getting, growing) to describe a changing situation. This is a hallmark of B2 fluency because it describes a process, not just a fact.

Vocabulary Learning

outstanding (adj.)

Exceptionally good; clearly better than others.

Example:The soldier received a medal for his outstanding service during the crisis.

recipient (n.)

A person who receives or is awarded something.

Example:The young scientist was the recipient of a prestigious international award.

advocate (n.)

A person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.

Example:She has been a strong advocate for gender equality in the military.

contributor (n.)

A person or country that provides something, such as money or personnel, to a common fund or effort.

Example:India is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions.

emphasize (v.)

To give special importance or prominence to something in speaking or writing.

Example:The manager wanted to emphasize the importance of meeting the deadline.

assert (v.)

To state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully.

Example:The official asserted that the new security measures would prevent further conflicts.

misinformation (n.)

False or inaccurate information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to deceive.

Example:The government is working to combat the spread of digital misinformation during the election.

Practice B2 words in a crossword→