UNMOGIP Celebrates Medal Parade to Recognize Work of UN Peacekeepers [1]
Major General Per Lodin, Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer (in the middle) and Colonel Oriel Pangcog, Deputy Chief Military Observer (on the left) during the medal parade in November 2017 in Islamabad, Pakistan.
On 9 November, the Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer, Major General Per Lodin, awarded medals to the United Nations Military Observers (UNMOs) in a ceremony held at the UNMOGIP Headquarters in Islamabad, Pakistan. The medal parade was attended by the diplomatic community and the civilian and military staff.
Medal parades are organized twice a year in April and November to recognize the contributions of UN peacekeepers to the implementation of the Mission’s mandate. Colonel Oriel Pangcog, Deputy Chief Military Observer said that medals are awarded to UN peacekeepers who have completed a minimum of three months of service with the Mission.
“Medal parade is a way to recognize and show appreciation for the work of UN peacekeepers,” Pangcog said.
During the medal parade week, UNMOs arrive from their respective field stations to the Headquarters in Islamabad to participate in the three-day activities that include the UNMO Conference followed by the medal parade. The first two days of the UNMO conference are devoted to trainings and lectures. The UNMOs also get updates on the latest UN policies and discuss operational issues with the Chief of Mission Support.
Present since 1949, UNMOGIP monitors the ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control and Working Boundary in Jammu and Kashmir. The ceasefire line is approximately 770 kilometers long observed by 44 peacekeepers.