UNA Westminster, together with UNA-UK and the Royal United Services Institute, held the 15th annual conference and ceremony to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. The opening session of the conference was provocatively titled “Better Peacekeeping or People Centred? What do these approaches mean and how can they be implemented?” and which set the tone for the conference, citing both challenges and weaknesses in the field of peacekeeping. A report of the conference can be found here.
The ceremony at the Cenotaph featured one hundred and fifteen embassies and high commissions, a world record, laying wreaths in memory of UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. Prayers were given by the Rev Nigel Cowgill, Chair, London District of the Methodist Church and Mrs Geetha Maheshwaran from the Shree Ghanapathy Temple in Wimbledon. The event was blessed with fine weather and attracted a large crowd. A full report of the conference, with video of the keynote address by retired General Patrick Cammaert, and the full programme of the ceremony with images will be found on the UNA Westminster website.
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