International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members

International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members

International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members seeks to remember Alec Collett, a UN journalist who was abducted by armed men in 1985. Collett’s body was discovered in 2009 at Lebanon. This day aims to mobilize action, demand justice, and strengthen the UN’s resolve to protect their staff and peacekeepers. This also includes non-government colleagues and the press. According to the UN, since its founding, more than 3,500 men and women have lost their lives in its service. This day serves to recognize and remember them.

International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members was established in 1994 by the UN General Assembly. It is observed annually on March 25th.

Top 8 Facts for International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members in 2026

• The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is officially observed to commemorate the 1985 abduction of Alec Collett, a British journalist who was kidnapped by armed gunmen while on assignment for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
• Although the abduction occurred in the mid-1980s, the fate of Alec Collett remained a mystery for over two decades until his remains were finally discovered and identified in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in 2009.
• The legal foundation for protecting these individuals is the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which was adopted by the General Assembly in 1994 to address the alarming rise in targeted attacks against international workers during the 1990s.
• Awareness of the dangers faced by field personnel is further supported by the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, a 2005 agreement that expanded legal protections to include those delivering humanitarian, political, or development assistance.
• Recent history has marked this observance with tragedy, as the year 2025 recorded the highest death toll of United Nations staff in the organization's history, primarily due to the intense conflict in Gaza.
• As of early 2026, there are approximately 69 United Nations personnel currently being held in arbitrary detention or missing, with some individuals having been deprived of their liberty for over five years.
• The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei has recently been identified as the deadliest mission for peacekeepers, highlighting the extreme risks faced by those operating in disputed territories and high-threat environments.
• Total fatalities among those serving under the United Nations flag have surpassed 3,500 since the organization’s founding, a statistic that underscores the inherent peril of peace operations in volatile regions.

In the News and Trending in the US for International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members

Top things to do in the US for this observance

• Review the UN General Assembly's adopted resolution to help protect UN personnel.
• Watch a video about the different member states showing their support for UN personnel.
• Browse several UN infographics to learn more about what UN staff and peacekeepers do.

References