UN Secretary-General António Guterres used a remembrance commemoration in New York to mark twenty-three years since the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, calling on the international community to protect, support and never forget humanitarian workers operating in conflict zones. The attack killed 22 UN colleagues and injured many others, leaving families and survivors with grief that, Guterres said, "has never ended."

Among those killed was Sérgio Vieira de Mello, whom Guterres described as "a remarkable servant of peace," alongside women and men of exceptional courage and dedication drawn from many countries and backgrounds. Guterres noted that he had visited the memorial at the Canal Hotel site in Baghdad the previous year, describing it as "a place filled with people driven by a shared conviction: that even in the most difficult circumstances, humanity, solidarity and hope must prevail."

Speaking on World Humanitarian Day, Guterres drew a direct line from the 2003 attack to the situation facing aid workers in active conflicts across the world. He stated that humanitarians today face escalating dangers — being "attacked, detained, injured and killed" — while the rules designed to protect civilians, including humanitarian personnel, are being violated with what he termed "alarming frequency and impunity."

Despite those dangers, Guterres emphasised that humanitarian workers continue to enter hostile areas, reach communities others cannot reach, and deliver food, medicine, protection and shelter. "They carry hope," he said.

The Secretary-General framed the legacy of those killed in Baghdad as a living obligation. "To all those who show up for others, let us show up for them," he said, pledging to uphold the values and defend the principles the fallen colleagues had served. The commemoration concluded with a minute of silence in memory of those lost in the attack.

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