The United Nations (UN’s) International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is observed worldwide every year on March 25 to honor those who face detention, abduction, or violence while serving in global peace and humanitarian missions.
- This day serves to mobilize action, demand justice, and reinforce our commitment to protecting UN staff and peacekeepers, along with our colleagues in the non-governmental sector and the press.
Origin of the Day:
i.The day commemorates the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett, a journalist working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in 1985 by a gunman from the Palestinian Abu Nidal group in Lebanon.
ii.His body was finally discovered in 2009 in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley by a joint team from the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) and British police.
Protecting UN Staff:
i.Since the establishment of the UN in 1945, hundreds of UN personnel have tragically lost their lives in the line of duty.
ii.In response to growing concerns over staff security, the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution S/RES/868 in September 1993, marking the first Security Resolution on the issue.
iii.Negotiations were held in the 6th (Legal) Committee of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) regarding an international legal convention aimed at protecting UN personnel.
iv.Subsequently, the Convention on the Safety of UN and Associated Personnel was adopted on December 9, 1994, and came into force in 1999.
Note:In 2024, a total of 101 UN staff members were arrested or detained worldwide, with at least 52 still in detention, including 23 held by the de facto authorities in Yemen.
About 1994 Convention:
i.Initially, the Convention focused on UN operations designed to maintain or restore international peace and security, as well as those considered to present an exceptional risk to the safety of personnel.
ii.However, non-peacekeeping operations were only included under the Convention in cases where exceptional risk declarations were made.
2005 Optional Protocol:
i.In 2005, the UN introduced the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of UN and Associated Personnel, addressing the Convention’s previous shortcomings.
ii.This Protocol extends legal protection to all other UN operations, including emergency humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding, and the provision of humanitarian, political, and development support.
About United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):
Commissioner-General – Philippe Lazzarini
Headquarters – Amman(Jordan) and Gaza(Palestine)
Established – 1949
