Today, on the annual International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, we recognize the service and sacrifice of the women and men serving in UN peacekeeping missions, and we applaud their contribution to global peace and security. In particular, we honor the nearly 4,000 peacekeepers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peacekeeping over the last 72 years.
Since UN peacekeepers were first deployed in 1948, the United States has been the largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping. We are also the world's leading bilateral provider of peacekeeping capacity-building assistance through programs such as the Global Peace Operations Initiative and the International Police Peacekeeping Operations Support program. We partner with many of the leading troop and police contributing countries to support the delivery of peacekeeping training that meets or exceeds UN standards, to prepare them for the challenges of operating in some of the world's most austere and dynamic conflict contexts.
The United States remains committed to effective, accountable peacekeeping, including zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse and clear performance benchmarks, as detailed in UN Security Resolution 2436. We also support the UN Secretary General's Action for Peacekeeping Initiative. Accountability and oversight ensures that missions are focused on their mandates and working toward durable political solutions. The United States will continue to lead in these and other efforts to maximize the positive impact of UN peacekeeping.
