Guterres Honors 136 UN Staff Killed in Duty in 2025

From peacekeepers to math teachers, 136 UN personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2025 were commemorated on Monday morning at an annual service hosted by the Secretary-General.

“These tragedies weigh heavily on us all and should shock the conscience of the entire world,” António Guterres said.

“Let me be clear: UN personnel must never be targeted. Attacks on peacekeepers and humanitarian workers are a violation of international law, including international humanitarian law.”

Most recently, a UNIFIL peacekeeper was killed in Lebanon last week — the seventh since the latest round of conflict erupted in March between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

Diverse Backgrounds, United in Purpose

At UN Headquarters, the women and men commemorated included 97 civilian personnel and 39 uniformed military and police peacekeepers from 32 countries, “diverse in background but united in purpose,” Mr. Guterres said.

“We remember these staff through their work,” the UN chief said.

“They were teachers educating children, medical workers healing the sick and injured, drivers delivering aid, and many more.”

More Than Half of Deceased Served in Gaza

Among the fallen, 80 served with the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza, he said, stressing that more UN colleagues have been killed in the enclave than in any other conflict or disaster in the history of the organization.

“Some died alongside their families in their homes or in places where they sought refuge,” Mr. Guterres said. “Others were killed while carrying out their duties in offices, shelters, and the communities they served.”

Also commemorated were those serving in peacekeeping missions around the world, including in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and South Sudan (UNMISS).

“You Made Our World a Better Place”

At a time when multilateralism is under attack and powerful forces “would have us believe that the United Nations — that unity itself — is a pipedream,” Mr. Guterres said, “the people we commemorate today prove otherwise. You made our world a better place.”

During the memorial, the Secretary-General, alongside the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council, lit a candle representing an eternal flame and observed a minute of silence. UN officials read the names of the deceased aloud, accompanied by a live violin performance.

Since 2011, the Secretary-General has held an annual memorial service at UN Headquarters in New York. The service commemorated 168 UN personnel and peacekeepers who died in the line of duty in 2024 and 188 in 2023.