Ahead of a memorial service at Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres told journalists that the men and women being honoured “were not just names on a list” but “extraordinary individuals – each one a story of courage, compassion, and service.”

“They were driven by the pursuit of peace. By the urgency to ease human suffering. And by the conviction that every person, everywhere, deserves dignity and protection,” he said, speaking in front of the Security Council chamber.

He acknowledged that the past year has been especially devastating for UN humanitarian workers. 

“More than one in every 50 UNRWA staff in Gaza has been killed in this atrocious conflict. This is the highest staff death toll in United Nations history,” he said.

“Some were killed delivering life-saving aid; others alongside their families; others while shielding the vulnerable.”

‘No room for impunity’

The Secretary-General said the sacrifice of all 168 fallen colleagues is a tragedy but also a reminder of the responsibility carried by every staff member every day.

It is important for the world to see this, he added, “because as we mourn those lost, we must also recognize the living.”

Mr. Guterres saluted staff members still serving in crisis zones across the globe for their courage and resilience.

“And to the world, I say: We will not grow numb to suffering. We will not accept the killing of UN personnel,” he stressed.

“We will not accept the killing of humanitarians, journalists, medical workers, or civilians as the new normal anywhere and under any circumstances. There must be no room for impunity.”

Remembering lives lost

Since 2011, the UN has held an annual service at Headquarters to honour personnel who have lost their lives in the line of duty during the previous year.

Those who paid the ultimate price in 2024 worked with UNRWA, the UN Secretariat, the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and the World Food Programme (WFP).

They came from 31 countries and were teachers, engineers, doctors, administrators, humanitarians, peacekeepers, and more. Above all, they were sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters.

Shortly after the press briefing, the Secretary-General joined some of their relatives, UN staff members and senior officials for the memorial service in the Trusteeship Council. Many others across the world followed the event online.

‘They were the best of us’

The Secretary-General noted that working for the UN “is far more than just a job” – it’s a calling. 

“All our fallen colleagues answered the call to serve humanity,” he said. “They did so in their own ways – without fanfare – and with determination.  They represented humanity in action.” 

He remarked that “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,” he said. “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.”

Legacy lives on

The president of the UN Staff Union in New York, Narda Cupidore, echoed this message.  She said they embodied the mission of the whole UN “and they paid the ultimate price.” 

“Let this honouring be more than a moment of silence,” she said. “Let it be a call for action. A call to protect those who serve. A call to ensure that anyone who serves under the blue flag does so with the full protection, support and respect.”

Ms. Cupidore said the legacy of the fallen colleagues “lives on in our work, in our advocacy and in our unshakeable belief that the world is worth striving for.”