UN / MILITARY GENDER ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR

STORY: UN / MILITARY GENDER ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
TRT: 04:20
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNISFA FOOTAGE ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: SEE SHOTLIST FOR DETAILS

SHOTLIST:

FILE- NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters

25 MAY 2023, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, GA hall
3. Pan right, GA hall
4. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Moments ago, I laid a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial to honour the women and men who have sacrificed their lives while serving under the UN flag in support of the most important cause of all — peace. We mourn their loss and share our deepest sympathies with their families, friends and colleagues. We will never forget their contributions. Please join me in a moment of silence in their memory.
5. Various shots, participants standing
6. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Our more than 87,000 peacekeepers hail from 125 countries, and work across 12 operations. Standing together, they face a daunting array of rising global tensions and divides. Conflicts are becoming more complex. Peace processes are stagnating. Terrorism, armed groups, gang violence, and transnational crime are poisoning communities, countries and entire regions. And the digital world has become a frightening frontier of tension, division, hate and mis and disinformation.”
7. Med shot, António Guterres speaking
8. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Today, I proudly present the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award to Captain Erzuah for her work in Abyei as the Commander of the Ghana Engagement Platoon since March 2022. In Abyei, she saw first-hand the enormous toll of armed conflict on entire communities — especially women — and she spared no effort to ensure that their voices were heard and reflected. The main function of the platoon she commands is to reach out to local communities to hear their concerns, explain the work of peacekeepers, and build trust.”
9. Various shot, Erzuah receiving Award
10. Med shot, Erzuah at the podium
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Captain Cecilia Erzuah, Engagement Platoon Commander, United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA):
“Despite the environmental challenges, we strive to serve as role models for the women, children and all members of the community. Our engagements fostered the communities’ confidence in my Battalion and facilitated the timely collection and exchange of information between the local population and my Battalion.”
12. Med shot, Erzuah at the podium
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Captain Cecilia Erzuah, Engagement Platoon Commander, United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA):
“Mr Secretary General, Ladies and Gentlemen, in a special way I dedicate this award to the beautiful people of Abyei whose fond memories will forever remain with me and to all peacekeeping personnel, particularly we women in uniform. May our dedication, commitment and love for humanity never go unrewarded. Long live the United Nations. Thank you.”
14. Wide shot, GA hall

FILE - PLEASE CREDIT UNISFA ON SCREEN - FEBRUARY - APRIL 2023, ABYEI

15. Various shot, Erzuah interacting with community representatives


STORYLINE:

Captain Cecilia Erzuah, a peacekeeper from Ghana, received the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award today (25 May) in New York for promoting the role of women in peace and security.

Opening the Awarding Ceremony, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Moments ago, I laid a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial to honour the women and men who have sacrificed their lives while serving under the UN flag in support of the most important cause of all — peace.”

He continued, “We mourn their loss and share our deepest sympathies with their families, friends and colleagues. We will never forget their contributions.”

After a minute of silence, the Secretary-General continued, “Our more than 87,000 peacekeepers hail from 125 countries, and work across 12 operations. Standing together, they face a daunting array of rising global tensions and divides. Conflicts are becoming more complex.”

He noted, “Peace processes are stagnating. Terrorism, armed groups, gang violence, and transnational crime are poisoning communities, countries and entire regions.”

According Guterres, to the digital world “has become a frightening frontier of tension, division, hate and mis and disinformation.”

He said, “I proudly present the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award to Captain Erzuah for her work in Abyei as the Commander of the Ghana Engagement Platoon since March 2022.”

Guterres continued, “In Abyei, she saw first-hand the enormous toll of armed conflict on entire communities — especially women — and she spared no effort to ensure that their voices were heard and reflected.”

He explained, “The main function of the platoon she commands”, Guterres explained, is to reach out to local communities “to hear their concerns, explain the work of peacekeepers, and build trust.”

After receiving the Award, Captain Cecilia Erzuah, Engagement Platoon Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), said, “Despite the environmental challenges, we strive to serve as role models for the women, children and all members of the community.”

She continued, “Our engagements fostered the communities’ confidence in my Battalion and facilitated the timely collection and exchange of information between the local population and my Battalion.”

Cecilia Erzuah concluded, “in a special way I dedicate this award to the beautiful people of Abyei whose fond memories will forever remain with me and to all peacekeeping personnel, particularly we women in uniform.”

Created in 2016, the Award “recognizes the dedication and effort of an individual peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security”.