Peacekeepers a Symbol of Success

Former deputy prime minister Jim McLay, now New Zealand’s ambassador to the United Nations, writes an opinion piece for The Kansas City Star about May 29 — International Day of UN Peacekeepers and a day which honours the 2876 peacekeepers who stood in harm’s way and lost their lives. “Peacekeeping is central to the work of the United Nations,” McLay writes. “Yet it’s something of an anomaly because nowhere does the UN Charter even use the word ‘peacekeeping.’ It’s a role the United Nations quickly carved out of its mandate to maintain international peace and security — and arguably, for a less-than-perfect organization that suffers much criticism (some deserved, some not), the blue-helmeted peacekeeper symbolizes one of its real successes.”