Conduct and Discipline Unit
Mandate
The Conduct and Discipline Team of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) was established at UN Headquarters in November 2005 as part of a reform package designed to strengthen accountability and uphold the highest standards of conduct. Renamed the Conduct and Discipline Unit (CDU) and now in the Department of Field Support (DFS), CDU continues to provide overall direction and policy guidance for conduct and discipline issues and maintain global oversight of the state of discipline in peacekeeping operations and special political missions.
The Conduct and Discipline Unit develops policy guidance tools and mechanisms to monitor the application of UN standards of conduct and the implementation of policies and procedures in the field. It oversees standardized induction training modules on conduct and discipline for all personnel arriving in UN peacekeeping operations and supports the community of practice on conduct and discipline training.
CDU maintains and updates a misconduct tracking system recording allegations from inception to the closure of cases. The unit provides statistical reports and trends analysis for senior management, Member States and the General Assembly. In addition, it provides information to media representatives and liaises with UN agencies and offices, Member States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on inter-agency initiatives related to conduct and discipline.
Conduct and Discipline Teams
Conduct and Discipline Teams (CDTs) were established in field missions in 2005. There are currently 14 CDTs covering 15 peacekeeping missions and four special political missions as well as the UN Logistics Base in Brindisi. CDTs handle all allegations of misconduct.
Mission CDTs report to the Head of Mission (HoM) as the principal adviser on all matters related to conduct and discipline for all categories of personnel. CDTs assist the HoM in implementing measures to prevent misconduct, including through mission-based training. CDTs provide technical advice and assistance to the HoM on misconduct issues, support the HoM in designing and implementing measures on handling misconduct, including to receive, assess, and refer misconduct allegations to appropriate investigative authorities, maintain misconduct records and undertake enforcement and remedial action when misconduct occurs.
The field-based CDTs implement the UN’s three-pronged approach to addressing misconduct: prevention, enforcement and remedial action. CDTs provide training for peacekeeping personnel on UN rules and conduct, draft and implement strategies designed to deter violations of local laws and UN rules and regulations, including acts of SEA, and receive, record, track and follow-up on all cases of misconduct. CDTs are also responsible for developing and implementing outreach and awareness-raising activities for the host country’s population.