International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members observed

International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members observed 25 March: International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members The 2017 International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members was observed on 25 March 2017. The day is observed each year on the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett. The day aims to mobilize action, demand justice and strengthen United Nations’ resolve to protect the UN staff and peacekeepers, as well as their colleagues in the non-governmental community and the press. As of 15 March 2015, 33 UN and associated personnel were detained by State authorities in 15 countries.  One staff member is missing and two contractors remain in the custody of abductors. Who was Alec Collett?
• Alec Collett was a former journalist.
• He was working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) when he was abducted by armed gunman in 1985.  
• His body was found in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in the year 2009.