Washington, DC - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: "Today, on the annual International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, we mark 70 years of UN peacekeeping, and the service and sacrifice of thousands of uniformed and civilian personnel. UN peacekeepers serve under dangerous and uncertain circumstances, and too often pay the ultimate sacrifice. We honor in particular today the more than 3,700 peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the service of peace over the past seven decades.

"As we mark the past and present of UN peacekeeping, the United States is committed to a future with better, smarter peacekeeping operations that more effectively and efficiently address conflicts, support political solutions, and meet the needs of people on the ground. That commitment includes remaining the world’s top financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, as well as the leading provider of training and equipment to troop- and police-contributing countries.

"Today we recognize the powerful role peacekeeping missions have played in supporting sustainable transitions to peace in countries from Sierra Leone to Cambodia, Timor-Leste to Namibia, Liberia to Cote d’Ivoire. As President Trump affirmed during remarks at last year’s UN General Assembly, “I am confident that if we work together and champion truly bold reforms, the United Nations will emerge as a stronger, more effective, more just, and greater force for peace and harmony in the world.”