On 02 June, MINURSO celebrated Italy’s National Day by raising its flag at the Mission headquarters in Laayoune next to the UN flag. On this day, Italy commemorates the referendum of 1946 when Italians were called to decide the form of their government after World War II.

Italian women and men have served as United Nations peacekeepers ever since the first Italian deployment of peacekeepers in 1979. Italy is a supplier of military personnel and police forces, serving in a number of different peacekeeping missions worldwide including MINURSO.

Italy also hosts a United Nations Logistics Base in Brindisi that provides logistics support to all UN peacekeeping operations in its role as a “Global Service Centre”, including in information science and telecommunications. It is also emerging as a center of excellence and innovation in managing the environmental impact of UN operations.

Italy’s flag consists of three stripes: Green symbolizes social equality, freedom, and hope; red represents love and charity and acknowledges the blood spilled in the formation of the nation; and white traditionally symbolizes faith. It also recalls the snow-capped Alps.

Buona festa della repubblica!