The Future of Police in UN Peace Operations

United Nations police (UNPOL) are a critical component of peace operations. Since they were first deployed to the UN Operation in the Congo in 1960, they have consistently been present in UN missions and have become increasingly important to achieving mission objectives. The breakdown in the rule of law is often a major factor in the decision to deploy a UN peace operation. Police peacekeepers play important roles in temporarily filling a public security gap and then working to (re)build the criminal justice architecture—including police as well as judicial and penal institutions. Indeed, these efforts are increasingly understood as a prerequisite for mission transitions and a cornerstone of their exit strategies.2 As a result there is growing support among member states for an increased focus on UNPOL capabilities in existing missions, countenancing more police-centric missions designs and even seeing peace operations more explicitly as a form of international policing. In a departure from traditional peacekeeping and post-conflict assistance, recent years have seen UN peace operations directed to stabilise countries and protect civilians in the context of on-going violent conflict. The changing nature of conflict in these settings has precipitated significant adjustments and additions to the roles and responsibilities of UN police (UNPOL).3 UNPOL have been called upon to help stabilise and restore public order, protect civilians and tackle the threats posed by transnational crime and violent extremism in situations where there is little peace to keep. These trends have already had a significant impact on the current crop of missions and in turn on UNPOL priorities and activities. While many of these trends are set to continue other new ones are likely to emerge. In order to respond to diverse and dynamic conflict environments, and shifting geopolitical tectonics, the design, configuration and objectives of the UN’s operational responses will need to adapt. As part of that, UNPOL capabilities and skillsets as well as conceptual and policy frameworks will need to be adjusted and augmented if the UN and its police peacekeepers are to meet the challenges of the future