STRATEGIC GUIDANCE FRAMEWORK FOR
INTERNATIONAL POLICE PEACEKEEPING
United Nations police peacekeeping differs fundamentally from
domestic policing. United Nations police is deployed to a situation
with an ongoing conflict, a post-conflict environment often
characterized by widespread human rights violations, weak
protection for civilians, including of women and children, and
increasing criminality. At the same time all or most of the host-state
police services and other law enforcement have been incapacitated
by the conflict.
Within this challenging context, police peacekeepers must
perform a variety of complex tasks including supporting the host-
State police and other law enforcement in addressing serious and
organized crime.
The Strategic Guidance Framework for International Police
Peacekeeping (SGF) aims to enhance the effectiveness of UN
police peacekeeping through more harmonized approaches and by
identifying specific roles and responsibilities of United Nations
police components – from the tactical-level police officer to the
Police Commissioner – so each can conduct their work more
effectively.
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The Policy represents the ‘what’ of UN police peacekeeping, and the ‘how’
was defined through the development of subsidiary guidelines on the four
core pillars of a UN police peacekeeping component outlined in the
Policy;
1. Police Command.
2. Police Operations.
3. Police Administration.
4. Police Capacity-Building and Development.
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GUIDELINES ON POLICE COMMAND
United Nations police commanders are deployed to environments
that are fundamentally different from their domestic policing
environments. They serve in post-conflict or fragile settings often
characterized by widespread human rights violations.
These Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and Department
of Field Support (DFS) Guidelines on Police Command spell out the
fundamental principles to United Nations police command.
The Guidelines are designed to assist United Nations police
command staff in carrying out their duties and leading the police
component and officers from different countries with very different
policing experiences in the fulfilment of mandated tasks.
These Guidelines ensure the overall accountability, providing
strategic guidance, vision, planning and engaging in monitoring and
evaluation and Conduct and Discipline.
They mention how to manage human resources effectively in
accordance with mission requirements and job descriptions taking into
account nationality and gender balance.
Police commanders shall have a thorough understanding of
United Nations rules, regulations and procedures to be able to make
decisions.
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United Nations police commanders should develop and
implement a training and capacity-building programs for host-State
police and other law enforcement agencies to increase the likelihood of
taking over the responsibility effectively.
The HOPC in peacekeeping operations shall submit to the Police
Division at UNHQ detailed daily and weekly situation reports on the
activities of the police component.
The guidelines also address the zero-tolerance policy on sexual
exploitation and abuse (SEA).
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR UNITED NATIONS POLICE COMMANDERS
United Nations police components are led by Heads of Police
Component (HOPC): ordinarily a Police Commissioner in
peacekeeping operations and a Senior Police Adviser in SPMs.
The HOPC is responsible for the implementation of the mission
mandate.
The HOPC reports to the Head of Mission (HOM), normally the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG)
The HOPC derives his or her authority and responsibilities from the
mission mandate and other relevant guidance.
The mission Police CONOPS delivered by UNHQ, shall serve as the
guiding document for the HOPC during the mission.
The Police CONOPS includes tasks and responsibilities of the police
component related to the mission mandate.
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GUIDELINES ON POLICE OPERATIONS
These Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and Department
of Field Support (DFS) Guidelines on Police Operations spell out the
fundamental principles of United Nations police operations.
These Guidelines shall apply to all staff of the United Nations
police components in missions led by DPKO, as well as in special
political missions (SPMs) led by the Department of Political Affairs
(DPA).
The Guidelines are designed to assist police components in the
fulfilment of their mandated roles, including operational support to host-
State police and other law enforcement agencies or, when mandated,
to perform interim or executive policing functions while the host-State
police and other law enforcement prepare to take over such
responsibilities.
The Guidelines shall provide operational support to the host State
police in fulfilling; 1. Policing services, 2. Law enforcement tasks,
including the areas of public safety, investigations and the conduct of
special operations, 3.The day-to-day police work, 4. Applying the basic
principles of Community-oriented policing.
The guidelines also clarify the relation with other mission
components.
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As United Nations police peacekeeping differs fundamentally from
domestic policing, the guidelines provide approaches, concepts and
principles for how United Nations police conducts operations.
GUIDELINES ON POLICE ADMINISTRATION
United Nations Police administration is a critical success
factor and the backbone in any police peacekeeping mission.
Without efficient and effective systems to process payroll,
manage vehicles, promote staff welfare, assess performance
or ensure appropriate conduct, peacekeepers cannot
effectively perform any of their mandated tasks.
So, these Guidelines create an enabling environment for
all activities of the police peacekeeping mission including
logistics, procurement and finance, and other subsidiary
administrative functions including conduct and discipline,
human resources management, induction and training.
They clarify the authority and the chain of command within
Police Component.
They further state the check-in and check-out procedures for
all police personnel and their induction training, deployments
and redeployments and FPU deployments.
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They guide the issues of Rotations, tour of duty, extensions,
Repatriation, Performance appraisals in addition to
Attendance, leave, Contingent commander meetings, medal
parades and Records management and information security.
GUIDELINES ON POLICE CAPACITY
BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT
Reforming, restructuring and rebuilding police and other law
enforcement agencies in post-conflict and fragile situations are
ones of the core functions of United Nations policing and that’s why
these Guidelines on Police Capacity-Building and Development
was developed.
These Guidelines focus on the support to five key areas;
namely, 1. support to policing services, 2. support to enabling
services, 3. support to policy formulation on policing, 4. support to
accountability, and 5. support to stakeholder engagement.
Since 2003, almost all new peacekeeping mission mandates have
included police capacity-building and development.
For each level, the Guidelines refine the five key areas of
support around which police capacity-building and development
activities—including the provision of material support; training
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initiatives; monitoring, advising and mentoring; and the
strengthening of accountability and oversight—should be based.
They will guide the United Nations police to better design,
implement, monitor and evaluate police capacity-building and
development projects and programs.
The Guidelines will help police components to prioritize
activities, areas and training objectives of the Police capacity-
building and development in order to enhance the operational
capacity of the host-state police and other law enforcement
agencies to be able to take over responsibility after the mission's
exit.
