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The date was chosen to commemorate the first UN peacekeeping mission in Palestine in 1948. The UN stated that the day pays tribute to “the professionalism, dedication and courage of all the men and women serving in UN peacekeeping organisations, and honours the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace”. It said that more than 3,700 peacekeepers have lost their lives serving under the UN flag since 1948, including 129 in 2018.


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