Kathmandu: The United Nations awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal to the late Corporal Suraj Lamichhane and Private Debi Ram Jaisi, who lost their lives while serving for international peace and security.
The Dag Hammarskjöld medal is a posthumous award to members of peacekeeping operations who lose their lives during service with a peacekeeping operation under the operational control and authority of the United Nations. Each year on Peacekeeper’s Day, this medal is awarded to any Member State who has lost one or more military or police peacekeepers at a ceremony at UN HQ. The Under-Secretary-General for Field Support also accepts a medal on behalf of deceased civilian staff each year, according to the United Nations.
The medal was received on behalf of the fallen Nepali peacekeepers by Ambassador Lok Bahadur Thapa, permanent representative of Nepal to the United Nations, amidst the special ceremony held in UN Headquarters to mark the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on June 5. “I received the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal from UN Secretary-General António Guterres on behalf of the late Corporal Suraj Lamichhane and Private Debi Ram Jaisi, two courageous Nepali peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of international peace and security,” Ambassador Thapa mentioned.
Private Debi Ram Jaisi, who lost his life while serving with UNTAET in East Timor (now Timor-Leste) in 2000, was posthumously awarded the medal after 26 years. “This was possible following sustained efforts by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations to secure this long-overdue recognition,” Thapa wrote, adding “the courage, dedication, and selfless service of both the late Corporal Suraj Lamichhane and Private Debi Ram Jaisi reflect Nepal’s enduring commitment to United Nations peacekeeping.”
“We honor their memory, along with the sacrifices of all peacekeepers who have laid down their lives in the pursuit of global peace and security. Their legacy will continue to inspire generations to come,” he said.
