New york: Three fallen Cambodian peacekeepers who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations in South Sudan and the Central African Republic in 2025, have been posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjld Medals. The Medal Award Ceremony was held on June 5 at UN Headquarters in New York and was chaired by the UN Secretary-General.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, H.E. Keo Chhea, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United Nations, accompanied by mission leaders and diplomats, as well as the Defence Attach and the Assistant Defence Attach, received the medals from the UN Secretary-General on behalf of the fallen Cambodian peacekeepers: Captain Duong Magaly, 1st Lieutenant Phat Muny, and Master Sergent Brak Da.

The ceremony is held annually to award medals to outstanding UN uniformed peacekeepers and to express condolences and pay tribute to both UN uniformed peacekeepers and civilian personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving in UN peacekeeping operations. This was highlighted by the Cambodian Permanent Mission.

A report of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces, Mines and Explosive Remnants of War Clearance (NPMEC) shows that a total of 10,723 personnel, including 1,052 women, have served in 12 UN missions across 10 countries: Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Chad, Lebanon, Cyprus, Mali, the Central African Republic, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

However, the deployments have come with heavy losses. Since 2014, 14 Cambodian Blue Helmets have been killed and 19 others wounded in the line of duty. Currently, 471 Cambodian troops - 84 of them women - remain deployed worldwide.