Updated 3 July 2024
Police services that are effective, efficient, representative, responsive and accountable are a necessary foundation for sustainable peace. This can be easily seen in Kayango, South Sudan, where a new solar-powered police station has just been built at the centre of four corridors where seasonal cattle migration is most intense. Violent disputes can often erupt between cattle herders and local farmers, triggering cycles of violence that can lead to wider conflict in the region.
The new station was built by the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, UNMISS. It was turned over to South Sudanese authorities as part of UNMISS’s work to increase South Sudan’s ability to protect its citizens and prevent violence before it starts. « From here, our law enforcement officers can easily reach neighbouring villages when there are issues. » said Zachariah Garang, Deputy Governor for Western Bahr El Ghazal state. The station will improve security for over 16,000 people and promote greater stability in the country.
Over 6,400 officers with UN Police (UNPOL) are doing work like this to strengthen police capacity globally. This includes work in eight peacekeeping missions, serving in countries like Kosovo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. UNPOL officers help host-State authorities translate day-to-day public safety into long-term stability and security, supplementing or stepping in for local security services when needed. They work to:
- Restore and maintain law and order, to address violence that is often a root cause of conflict. This includes along borders, herding routes, and during elections – all of which can be flashpoints for widespread violence.
- Protect civilians, their lives and property, in places where local police are not able to do so alone. A key priority is to investigate and prevent sexual-based violence to hold perpetrators accountable and deter further violations.
- Address transnational organized crime helping member states coordinate responses across borders. UNPOL also helps UN Member States prevent and address serious and organized crime, corruption, and violent extremism before these phenomena become larger regional challenges.
- Rebuild public trust in the police and other law enforcement agencies by implementing needed reforms. An important part of this is ensuring police services are representative of all community members, including women. Greater trust in police services can address root causes of conflict, including address perceptions that non-state armed groups are needed to protect specific communities or people.
- Promote innovation and technology-based policing so that police services are in some of the world’s most challenging environments are equipped to succeed.
Their work has helped some of the largest UN peacekeeping missions to transition and turn over primary security responsibilities to host-state counterparts, including in countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Timor-Leste. UN Member State support has been critical to these successes, UNPOL requires more specialized capabilities to respond to increasingly volatile environments.
The UN Chiefs of Police Summit (UN COPS), held on June 26th and 27th, was an opportunity for Member States to pledge their support. It is the world’s largest platform for senior police leaders to commit to strengthening international security and addressing cross-border threats, bringing together more than 500 Member State representatives. Their continued support is enabling UNPOL to remain an effective, high-calibre force for global peace.
Learn more about UN Police on their website, police.un.org/en.
