Observed annually by the United Nations, the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is celebrated every March 25th. This holiday is set on the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett—a former journalist who was working for the UN Relief & Works Agency for Palestine Refugees when he was kidnapped by armed gunmen in 1985.

This day is to recognize the dangers that many colleagues of the UN face as they carry out their work on a daily basis. In 2020, twenty UN personnel were in detention, and ten personnel lost their lives due to attacks.

The History of the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members

This holiday was first established on the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett in 1985. His body was finally found in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in 2009. This day has been observed since then so that UN workers and the international community remain aware of the dangers faced by UN workers as they perform their jobs.

Some Amazing Facts About the UN

Since we’re discussing a day dedicated to the solidarity of staff members, we thought we’d take a few moments to talk about the United Nations.

• There are 193 member states in the United Nations.
• Over the last seven decades, the UN has been awarded 11 Nobel Peace Prizes.
• The term “United Nations” was coined by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942.
• The UN has six official languages for its meetings and distributed documentation.

Observing the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members

It’s a day to show solidarity for those United Nations workers who perform difficult and dangerous jobs on a daily basis. People can also give a shout-out to UN workers using the hashtag #InternationalDayofSolidarityWithDetainedAndMissingStaffMembers on their social media accounts.