The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal
Overview
Established in December 2000, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is a posthumous award for presentation to the families of military and civilian personnel who lost their lives while in the service of the United Nations. Each year on Peacekeeper's Day, this medal is awarded to any Member State who has lost one or more military or police peacekeepers at a ceremony at UN HQ. The Under-Secretary-General for Field Support also accepts a medal on behalf of deceased civilian staff each year.
The award is named for the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjöld, who lost his life in a plane crash in 1961 in the Congo. At the time, Dag Hammarskjöld was attempting to negotiate a cease-fire between secessionist Congo forces in Katanga province and the non-combatant forces of the United Nations. Dag Hammarskjöld was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1961.
The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal signifies to the deceased's family and nation, and to all other participants in United Nations peacekeeping operations, that the community of nations honours and remembers the men and women who have died in the service of peace.
Description
The award is made of crystal, bearing the United Nations emblem on one side, with the name of the deceased and date of death on the other side. The name of the award ‘The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal’ is engraved around the edge, above the inscription ‘In the Service of Peace’.
Eligibility
The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is a posthumous award presented to families of military, police, or civilian personnel who lost their lives while in the service of the United Nations.
For full details:
The Regulations for the award of the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal(external link)
Queries & requests
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Wearing this medal
The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is not designed to be worn.
For more information on how to wear and care for honours, medals, and awards:
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Checking eligibility and applying for this medal
NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals (PAM) does not approve or issue United Nations medals.
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Checking if this medal was issued
Honours, medals, and awards bestowed on an individual for service in the New Zealand Armed Forces are recorded in their individual service record. NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals holds a collection of about 1.5 million service records relating to 420,000 New Zealand service personnel who served in New Zealand’s Military Forces after the First World War.
Service records are not currently digitised, but we can locate it and find the information you might be looking for or help you book a time for you to see the records in Trentham by completing the form on the Service Record page.