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“Sometimes it can be very overwhelming, you really feel for the people and the suffering that they're going through.”

Unaisi Vuniwaqa has witnessed terrible suffering. As the Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security, she has worked as a UN peacekeeper in some of the world’s most dangerous places.

What does it take to stay calm in the crossfire? Peacekeepers have one of the toughest roles in the United Nations. Serving in brutal conflicts, such as that in South Sudan, can mean drawing on all their reserves of courage and ingenuity. In this episode, Unaisi Vuniwaqa reflects on what it takes to keep a cool head while in mortal danger and on maintaining the safety of UN staff and peacekeepers around the world.

Photo: ©UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Major Winnet Zharare is the first Zimbabwean to receive the prestigious UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for her outstanding efforts to integrate gender perspectives into .

Salila Abdulai Wani is 1 of 37 women UNMAS deminers working with the UN mission in South Sudan, out of a total of 338 deminers. They are clearing sites of explosive ordnance so that others can have safe passage. Follow Salila's movements throughout a typical day in her life. The threat of explosive ordnance affects the daily life of communities, the mobility of peacekeepers and the delivery of humanitarian aid. Since the inception of UNMAS South Sudan in 2004, more than 1.2 million explosive ordnance have been destroyed. Join us in celebrating the .

Peacekeeping has helped save lives and bring peace and stability to many countries over the decades. But UN peacekeeping cannot succeed on its own to end conflict and secure lasting political solutions. Partnerships are fundamental to bringing tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary people. The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (29 May) offers a chance to pay tribute to uniformed and civilian personnel. On this day, we also honour the serving under the UN flag since 1948, including 135 last year.

On the divided island of Cyprus, Hande and Flora may not have met if it wasn't for a weaving project facilitated by the , which brought together the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. Here’s the story of how they went from strangers to friends. has been working towards a political settlement in Cyprus since 1964. UNFICYP continues to supervise ceasefire lines, to maintain a buffer zone, to undertake humanitarian activities and to support the good offices mission of the Secretary-General.

Young people are essential in promoting peace and security around the world. UN peacekeeping operations amplify the voices of the youth and ensure that they are included in planning and decision-making. They support young people in overcoming challenges, promoting gender equality and advancing progress. This year, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers (29 May) focuses on youth, peace and security. Young people are promoting peace and security – and UN peacekeeping is having an impact on the next generation.

Empowering Youth as Agents of Peace

Action for Peacekeeping, launched by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in 2018, reaches its third anniversary.

"I remember sitting on the porch… with the local principal and I said, 'You need food and you need medicines. Why exam papers?' And he said, 'Look, that's for now. But the exam papers are our future. Our kids are our future. This is more important to us than food and medicines.'"

David Shearer is the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for South Sudan (United Nations Mission in South Sudan - ) but has also served in crisis areas across the Middle East and Afghanistan. In this episode of Awake at Night, he shares his captivating career stories from a posting in an occupied Palestinian territory, the nerve-wracking negotiations to release his wife from gunpoint in Somalia, and his incredible work entering behind Sri Lankan government lines to deliver exam papers to its schools.

He also recalls how he narrowly missed out on becoming the Prime Minister in his home country of New Zealand.

Joint UN-AU peacekeeping mission ends in Darfur

During the global pandemic, continues its work to save lives--protecting the vulnerable, supporting governance, safeguarding human rights and nurturing a fragile peace.

Chief Inspector Doreen Malambo from Zambia, who serves as the Gender Adviser at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has won 2020 UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, in honour of her work supporting vulnerable groups, such as women, girls, children, and people with disabilit

The annual will be presented today during , taking place virtually from 2 to 6 November. Chief Inspector Doreen Malambo, Gender Adviser at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (), was awarded the honour for her work supporting vulnerable groups, such as women, girls, children, and people with disabilities. Currently, about 11,000 United Nations police, , are deployed in 16  to enhance international peace and security.

Women are deployed in all areas – ,  and civilian. More women in peacekeeping means more effective peacekeeping. Women peacekeepers improve overall peacekeeping performance, have greater access to communities, help in promoting human rights and the protection of civilians, and encourage women to become a meaningful part of peace and political processes. In all fields of peacekeeping, women peacekeepers have proven that they can perform the same roles, as their male counterparts. It is an operational imperative that we recruit and retain female peacekeepers.

Twenty years ago, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, underscoring the importance of women’s involvement in peace and security issues. Since, the UN has prioritized gender parity in peacekeeping, peacemaking, and conflict prevention. “” celebrates the impact women are making in UN peacekeeping and special political missions around the world as they serve in civilian, military, police and justice and corrections roles, and  to help it achieve all its peace and security mandates.