UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres laid a wreath to honor more than 4,000 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948 on May 27, two days ahead of the annual observance of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. He awarded the Dag Hammarskjold Medal to 129 peacekeepers who lost their lives in 2020 and the first month of 2021.

May 29 was designated in 2003 as the annual observance to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations.

The Chinese army has participated in UN peacekeeping operations since 1990. Over the past 30 years, China has contributed over 40,000 peacekeepers, according to a Chinese white paper. 

"The Road to a Lasting Peace: Leveraging the power of youth for peace and security" is the theme of this year's observance. Tens of thousands of young peacekeepers (aged between 18 and 29) are deployed around the world, helping to protect civilians and prevent conflicts.