Germany’s Day of Peacekeeping, 2024: The Federal Government honours German police officers serving in international peacekeeping missions

Germany’s Day of Peacekeeping, 2024: The Federal Government honours German police officers serving in international peacekeeping missions

type:
News

, Topic:
Security

, Date:
27 June 2024

The Federal Government marks this year’s Day of Peacekeeping at a ceremony with the theme “Our engagement in peacekeeping”.

The Germans honoured at the Day of Peacekeeping ceremony stand for all those who serve in peacekeeping missions, often living and working under difficult conditions. Three members of the Bundeswehr, three civilian experts and three police officers were recognised for their service in peacekeeping missions abroad by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Federal Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. Some 350 guests were invited to the ceremony in Berlin. 

The peacekeepers honoured this year have served in Armenia (EUMA), Kosovo (UNMIK), Lebanon (UNIFIL), Somalia (EUCAP Somalia), South Sudan (UNMISS), and at the Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic.

German police officers abroad

German police officers are currently serving in 12 missions on three continents, reinforcing the stability of countries in crisis. They ensure security in the countries where they are assigned, helping to build lasting institutions and organisations based on the rule of law, for example by training and advising local security personnel. Since 1994, officers from the state police forces have been able to serve in international missions too. “Being able to appreciate and apply the many different national approaches is a very important skill. Our seconded police officers must have this skill to begin with, and they must apply it and further refine it where they are assigned. These missions in far-flung regions and very different cultural settings would not be possible without a great deal of flexibility and openness,” Federal Minister Faeser said. She went on to thank the three police officers for their commitment, also as representatives of all those who volunteer to serve in international missions. “State police officers make up the largest share, and in this way they play a central role in shaping Germany’s involvement. I thank you all very much, and today, I would especially like to thank the three of you,” Federal Minister Faeser said before the roughly 350 guests, which included many members of the German Bundestag.

  • 1.266Germans are serving in international peacekeeping missions

    of this number

  • 67 police officers

  • 1.029 military personnel

  • 170 civilian experts

  • 26 women(39%)

  • 73 women(12%)

  • 73 women(43%)

Originally published at https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/kurzmeldungen/EN/2024/06/tag-des-peacekeeping-24.html;jsessionid=9CE3138182AECF3BABCAD785D83D7824.live891

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