CCCPA hosted a reception on the occasion of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on 26 June 2018. The event was organized in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Interior, and the United Nations Information Centre in Cairo (UNIC). It brought together high-level Egyptian officials, the diplomatic community in Cairo, and the families of five fallen Egyptian peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving in the UN missions in Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, and Angola.
 
Attendees observed a moment of silence to pay tribute to the fallen Egyptian heroes: Captain Safie-Eldin Ahmed Eid, First Lieutenant Sami Aly Ibrahim Nasr Eldin, Captain Montaser Hassan Abbas, Captain Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Tawfik, and Captain Alaa Sallam. Tokens of appreciation were presented to the families of the fallen peacekeepers by H.E. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Chairman of CCCPA’s Board of Directors, as well as representatives of the Ministries of Defense and Interior.
 
In his keynote speech, H.E. Sameh Shoukry highlighted Egypt’s commitment to peacekeeping through troop and police contributions since 1960, and its role in strengthening the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations through contributions to doctrinal and policy development: “Currently, Egypt ranks the world’s 2nd largest contributor of military experts, 3rd largest contributor of police, and 10th largest contributor of contingent troops.” Egypt “takes pride in the manner which we train and equip our peacekeepers, and in our most recent effort to increase the number of our women peacekeepers.” 
 
Egypt’s contribution to peacekeeping is guided by “the primacy of politics and continuum of UN response to conflicts; the adherence to the basic principles of peacekeeping, specifically the consent of parties, impartiality, and non-use of force except in self-defense and defense of the mandate, our unshakable belief in national ownership and respect for sovereignty; and enhancing partnerships”, noted Minister Shoukry.
 
Mr. Richard Dictus, UN Resident Coordinator lauded Egypt’s heroic efforts in peacekeeping and presented a token of appreciation to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Defense for their continuous contributions. 

Photo: Honoring a family member of a fallen peacekeeper