Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Dan Tehan said the nation
honoured the service of more than 30,000 men and women
who have participated in peacekeeping operations since
1947 on National Peacekeepers Day today.
Mr Tehan said
14 Australians had died on peacekeeping operations.
“Today we acknowledge all those Australians who have
served, and continue to serve, in the United Nations and
other multilateral peace and security operations,” Mr
Tehan said.
“Australian military personnel, police and civilians
have played important roles in assisting those whose
lives have been blighted by war and conflict around the
globe.
“These men and women take on the difficult challenge
and significant responsibility of maintaining an often
fragile peace, sometimes standing between warring
parties in unsafe environments.
“Their work has included providing electoral and
logistics support, ceasefire monitoring, landmine
clearance, military observation and facilitating the
delivery of humanitarian aid.”
Australia has made a significant contribution to
worldwide peace operations, including commanding
operations in Kashmir, Cambodia, the Sinai, Iraq and
East Timor. Australians have served in Bougainville,
Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Haiti, Somalia and Sierra Leone, among
many others. Currently, Australians are deployed on
operations in the Middle East, Cyprus and South Sudan.
