Americas.
Current Missions in 2026
As of May 2026, UN peacekeeping missions operate in 11 countries and regions. The total number of deployed peacekeepers is more than 50,000. These missions include the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and others.
The work is not without danger. Since 1948, nearly 4,500 peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag. Just last year, 59 peacekeepers died in the line of duty. Attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law.
India's Great Contribution
India has a proud history of supporting UN peacekeeping. It has deployed nearly 300,000 troops in more than 50 UN Peacekeeping Missions since 1948. Approximately 184 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice in defence of international peace and security.
India remains among the largest troop-contributing countries. More than 4,200 Indian military and police personnel, including 155 women, are currently deployed across missions in Abyei, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Somalia, South Sudan, and Western Sahara. India's role goes beyond troop deployment and includes training, humanitarian outreach, logistics support, and capacity building for partner countries.
A Special Honour for India
On International Peacekeepers Day 2026, India received special recognition. The UN honoured two Indian peacekeepers posthumously: Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh , who served with MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan , who was deployed with UNMISS in South Sudan. They received the prestigious Dag Hammarskjöld Medal for their supreme sacrifice.
In addition, Major Abhilasha Barak was awarded the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year. Major Barak is the Indian Army’s first woman combat helicopter pilot and serves as the Commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). She was recognized for her outreach activities for women and adolescent girls and for gender sensitization training for peacekeepers. She is the third Indian officer to receive this award, after Major Suman Gawani (2019) and Major Radhika Sen (2024).
India's Peacekeeping Events in 2026
On 29 May 2026, India commemorated the International Day of UN Peacekeepers with solemn events. A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, led by Lt Gen Vipul Shinghal, Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, to pay homage to the brave Indian peacekeepers who sacrificed their lives.
A "Strategic Interaction on 'Future of UN Global Peacekeeping'" was organized at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, bringing together senior military officials, diplomats, and scholars to discuss contemporary peacekeeping challenges and India's enduring contribution. The permanent missions of India and Austria to the UN also organized a solemn event in New York to pay tributes to fallen peacekeepers.
Awards and Ceremonies at UN Headquarters
The main commemorative ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York will take place on 5 June 2026 . On that day, Secretary-General António Guterres will lay a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site and award the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal posthumously to 68 military, police and civilian peacekeepers who lost their lives in the line of duty, including 59 who died last year.
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