The United Nations peacekeepers in Liberia on Saturday joined their colleagues around the world in commemoration of those who sacrificed their lives in the service of peace.

The commemoration day dubbed as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers was led by Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Mission in Liberia Ambassador Abou Moussa.

Moussa recalled that since the start of UN peacekeeping operation in Liberia in October 2003, about 47 of the Mission's personnel have lost their lives.

"Today is a day to honor those who have lost their lives in thecause of peace," he said, adding that "it is also a day when each and every one of us should feel proud of what United Nations peacekeepers have achieved throughout the world."

Currently, the UN has deployed 15,000 peacekeepers in Liberia and has brought security to the west African country ravaged by 14years of war and violence.

Reflecting on the UN Mission achievements so far, Moussa said more than 100,000 armed combatants were disarmed and that the Mission has assisted the transitional government of Liberia to extend state authority to remote areas of the country.

In the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's message for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, read by Moussa, the UN secretary general rededicated the UN family to the "noble calling of peacekeeping."

Annan recalled that about 115 UN peacekeepers, both military and civilian from 39 countries lost their lives during 2004. In the first four and half months of 2005, he said 41 others lost their lives, including nine Bangladeshi soldiers who were "brutally murdered" in February in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the "worst single attack on UN peacekeepers in over adecade."

Notwithstanding, the UN secretary general said "the demand for UN peacekeeping is as high as it has ever been."

Now, he said, there are more than 66,000 uniformed personnel and almost 15,000 civilians serving the cause of peace in 17 peacekeeping operations around the globe, maintaining ceasefires and monitoring borders and fostering reconciliation among others.

To this the UN secretary general acknowledged the 103 member states contributing uniformed personnel to the UN and made particular reference to the contributions of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, which together provide more than one third of all UN peacekeepers.

Annan also acknowledged that countries such as China and Brazilare taking on new responsibilities in this direction and hoped that other countries, particularly developed countries which have "unique capacities to meet some of the specific needs of peacekeeping will follow suit."

Source: Xinhua