UN Secretary-General's remarks at the Annual Memorial Service to honour UN Personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty from 1 January to 31 December 2024

Dear colleagues, family members and friends,

We gather to pay tribute to the 168 women and men who lost their lives in 2024 in the line of duty.

We honour those who gave everything in the pursuit of peace, justice, and human dignity.  

Not only were they dear colleagues, they were sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters.

We extend our deepest condolences to the families with us today, both in person and online.

Our thoughts and our hearts are with you.

Your grief is shared by the entire United Nations family.

Your sorrow is our sorrow.

Please join me in a moment of silence to honour our fallen colleagues.

[MOMENT OF SILENCE]

Thank you.

The women and men we honour today embodied the very essence of our mission.

They were driven by the cause of peace, by the need to alleviate human suffering, and to ensure dignity for all.

They came from all countries of the world, representing 31 nationalities.

They were teachers, engineers, doctors, and administrators.

They were military, police and civilian personnel.

They were humanitarians, peacekeepers, and peacemakers and so much more.

When conflict erupted, they worked for peace…

When violence and disasters hit, they provided life-saving assistance…

When human rights were trampled, they lifted people up …

And when the vulnerable needed help, they worked to ensure no one was left behind.

Recent years have been devastating for the UN family.

We have suffered unspeakable and unprecedented losses in Gaza.

This past year alone, 126 of our colleagues were killed in Gaza, including 125 women and men who worked for UNRWA.

Some were killed with their families.

I repeat my call for full accountability.

Excellencies, dear colleagues, friends,

Our work is far more than just a job.

It is a calling. 

All our fallen colleagues answered the call to serve humanity. 

They did so in their own ways – without fanfare – and with determination. 

They represented humanity in action.

At a time when some may question international cooperation or the very notion of multilateralism, we would all do well to remember these lives taken far too soon.

Let us take inspiration from how they lived.

Let us commit to provide support and comfort to their families.

Let us keep working to improve the safety and wellbeing of our staff.

And let us vow that the memory and mission of our fallen colleagues will endure. 

They were the best of us.

Let them live on through our work.

Thank you.