«Helping to create credible national services that provide security and putting in place comprehensive systems that provide and are seen to provide justice are two fundamental ingredients for lasting peace and stability in post-conflict societies. »
Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions
Promoting Justice and Security - OROLSI Promotional Film
27 April 2011
How the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions inside of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations works to support promoting rule of law and security in post-conflict situations in UN missions around the world.
In March 2000, the Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi was requested by the UN Secretary-General to chair a high-level panel to undertake a thorough review of the United Nations peace operations. The report of the panel has come to be known as the Brahimi report 
.
The Brahimi report recommendations were welcomed by the UN General Assembly, and DPKO began implementing them in 2001. One of these recommendations was to have an integrated, holistic approach to the rule of law. In 2007, the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI) was established to provide this holistic approach to re-establishing systems of justice and reinforce security, through disarmament, demobilization and the reintegration of ex-combatants and through helping to deal with mine fields and unexploded ordinance that remain following armed struggles.
OROLSI at the UN Headquarters brings together the Police Division, the Criminal Law and Judicial Advisory Service (CLJAS), the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Section (DDR) and the Security Sector Reform Unit. The overarching goal of this Office is to support the work of UN missions to help national authorities consolidate lasting peace by establishing justice and security systems.
The United Nations Police Division is an integral part of OROLSI, and works closely with all of its components. UN Police assist with Security Sector Reform, and often police services are recipients of assistance through these programmes. UN Police assist in providing security and public safety awareness concerning mines and unexploded ordinance in post-conflict settings. In many cases when ex-combatants have been disarmed and demobilized it is the role of police to provide security where combatants once did. In many cases these police are trained, mentored or advised by UN Police. Concerning justice and corrections systems, police are an essential link that connects this rule of law chain.
In recent years, the Police Division has been able to provide Corrections Officers to assist the Corrections Team inside of CLJAS to make it possible for DPKO to more quickly address the problems in prisons, such as overcrowding, which can add to insecurity.
DPKO strongly believes that partnerships are essential to the UN system’s success in post-conflict peacekeeping settings. It is the key to long-term support and is an essential element in the Department’s exit strategy. Peacekeeping mandates are designed to come to an end as soon as a secure environment allows
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