S

  • safe haven; safe area ['security of safe areas' = 'sécurité des zones protégées'] see also: United Nations protected area

  • safe humanitarian zone; safe area [also found: 'protected zone', 'safe area for humanitarian purposes']

  • salvage
    [1. to strip serviceable parts from an item of equipment which is beyond repair, in order eventually to install them on other items of equipment;
    2. to recover a damaged vehicle or equipment for future repair] see also: recovery; cannibalization

  • sanctions monitoring [observing the performance of the authorities of a country in executing an embargo against the target state] see also: sanctions assistance mission; sanctions enforcement

  • sanctuary [a nation or area near or contiguous to a combat area that is exempt from attack by the warring powers, e.g. a Hutus camp in Zaire, or a Kmers rouges camp in Thailand]

  • scale of accomodation [list of personnel grades (SRSG to UN volunteers) and activities (e.g., vehicle, electrical or radio workshops, kitchen/dining, dormitories, recreation) and the respective surface area that each is entitled to; it also details the standards applicable to sewage treatment, power supply, air conditioning and heating]

  • scale(s) of issue; scale(s) of items; stocks; holdings; stores [list of authorized maximum levels of holdings of stores, equipment and vehicles as established by Mission HQ, for use by contingents to meet their operational commitments; "scale" refers both to the formula used to calculate the quantities and to the resulting stores allocated (engineer stores, supply/ordnance stores, defence stores); also found: 'contingents should be scaled for 6 months spare parts and assemblies', 'first line scales (for ammunition)', 'a generous scale of smoke and illuminating rounds', 'sufficient scaling of spare parts', 'scale of ammunitions'; 'scales of issues'; 'daily ration scales', 'scale of hygiene chemicals', 'a scale of issue (for medical and dental stores)] see also: supply line; first line stocks; ration scale; initial scale of issue

  • sea point of embarkation; SPOE [movement control; also found as: port of embarkation] see also: point of embarkation; air point of embarkation

  • sealift capacity [the capacity to move troops, equipment, and supplies rapidly to a conflict zone by ship; includes sea movement, sea landing and sea support]

  • search and rescue; SAR [ The use of aircraft, surface craft, submarines, specialized rescue teams and equipment to search for and rescue personnel in distress on land or at sea. ] see also: combat search and rescue

  • second-line maintenance [as applied to PKOs, maintenance done at the level of the force or formation; as regards military-pattern vehicles) refers to maintenance done by PKO HQ] see also: first-line maintenance; third line maintenance

  • section [a section is smaller than a platoon and larger than a squad; in some organizations, the section, rather than the squad is the basic tactical unit]

  • sector [An area designated by boundaries within which a unit operates and for which it is responsible. ]

  • security adviser [to the SRSG; civilian or police officer]

  • security check [of UN personnel, vehicles and baggage when crossing for example cease-fire lines, conducted by the parties] see also: security search

  • security zone; SZ [area in which no armed forces or heavy military equipement are allowed] see also: restricted-weapons zone

  • self-sufficiency [characterizes a force which can feed, clothe and house itself during at least the initial period of a crisis or deployment; e.g. peace-keeping forces are to be self-sufficient in food-ration items for a period of 60 days from their deployment; is distinct from "self-sustainment", q.v.] see also: self-sustainment

  • self-sustainment; self-support [a logistics support concept for troop contingents in a peace-keeping mission area whereby the contributing country provides some or all logistics support to the contingent on a reimbursable basis; the term "self-sufficiency" is sometimes incorrectly used with this meaning] see also: direct support; self-sufficiency

  • senior political adviser [civilian; part of the Force Commander's personal staff, unless a SRSG is working in the same area, in which case the political adviser will be on the latter's staff; keeps the SRSG informed of local, national and regional developments; drafts communications; is usually a D-1]

  • separation of forces see also: interposition force; area of separation; buffer zone

  • servicing [ Work on motor vehicles consisting of cleaning, lubricating, replenishment of fuel, lubricant, cooling agent, and air for tires to insureproper operations. ]

  • shooting report; SHOOTREP [include date and time and location of incident, identity of originator, number and type of weapons used, nature of fire (rounds, bursts, spasmodic or sustained), etc.; in some 'high activity' AOs, shootreps are initiated only beyond a 'cut-off point' (i.e. when firings exceed a certain number of rounds)] see also: firing close to OP report

  • short take-off and landing; STOL (aircraft) [ The ability of an aircraft to clear a 50 foot (15 meter) obstacle within 1,500 feet (500 meters) of commencing take- off or in landing, to stop within 1,500 feet (500 meters) after passing over a 50 foot (15 meters) obstacle. ]

  • show of force [the deploying of military forces to deter a potential aggressor and to demonstrate UN resolve. ]

  • significant (or special) incident report; SINCREP [the category includes initial, intermediate and final reports on serious incidents in a PKO's area of operation; they are submitted by a unit to a higher formation concerning an incident in its area of responsibility] see also: summary of incidents; incident report

  • Situation Centre; SITCEN [as of November 1993, "Situation Room" became "Situation Centre"; DPKO] see also: operations room

  • situation report; SITREP; Sit Rep [routine situation reports are sent to summarize each day's events: number of shooting incidents, activity by the two sides and irregular forces, actions of peacekeeping force and relevant civilian activity; they can be supplemented by special report forms for particular incidents and can sometimes be called in over the battalion (radio) net]

  • special assistant [to the SRSG; civilian; makes arrangements to organize the SRSG's official schedules; is usually a P-5]

  • Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations [carried out a comprehensive review of the whole question of peace-keeping operations in all their aspects]

  • special operations [the concept formerly covered only military commando-like actions against strategic or tactical targets; nowadays it includes any form of action with a military purpose, yet not necessarily involving the use of force or violence: restoring light, water supply, cleaning the streets, providing school equipment, reestablishing legitimate local authorities, in order to improve the morale of the civilian population and avert public discontent, disturbances and therefore political instability and violence, are part of the civil affairs aspect of a special operations mission]

  • stand-by (forces) arrangements (system) [under those arrangements, the capabilities made available to the UN by States may be military formations, civilian police, specialized personnel (civilian and military), services, specialized equipment]

  • stand-by phase [logistics; first phase in a peace-keeping operation, while a technical survey team is dispatched to the potential mission area, and before or shortly after the Security Council adopts a resolution] see also: mounting phase; deployment phase; sustainment phase; redeployment phase

  • stand-off weapon [ A weapon that permits the attcking aircraft to launch an attack on the target at a safe distance, usually outside the range of counterfire. ]

  • standardization [of equipment and procedures in a multinational organization; the spectrum of standardization ranges from low-level compatibility (equipment or procedures do not clash), to inter-operability (some degree of workable harmony is possible), to interchangeability (substitution is feasible) to commonality (same equipment or procedure is used)]

  • standing operating procedures; SOP [or 'standard operating procedures'; they detail the political and military situation in the area, staff duties, structure of force, the mandate and methods of operations, the rules applicable to the carriage of weapons, the use of force and the states of alert] see also: rules of engagement

  • state of alert [UN forces usually have 3 states of readiness: normal vigilance, increased vigilance and full alert; the system allows for the gradual stepping-up of UN reaction as a situation develops, in response to increased threats in the area of operation; the 3 levels or states of alert are sometimes designated by colors: white, amber and red)] see also: notice to move; state of readiness; alert status

  • status of (the peace-keeping) force(s) agreement; SOFA [agreement between the UN and the host country; text of model agreement is in: A/45/594, anx]

  • status-of-mission agreement; SOMA

  • supplies [the US distinguishes Class I supplies (subsistance), Class II (clothing, tentage, individual tools), Class III (POL), Class IV (construction), Class V (ammo), Class VI (equipment of troops), Class VII (tanks, artillery, trucks, planes), Class VIII (medical supplies), Class IX (parts and assemblies), Class X (non-military programme supplies)]

  • supply depot [logistics; a specialized facility designed, equipped and manned to perform the warehousing function and conduct other activities, particularly those associated with the maintenance of stocks]

  • supply point [central point where rations are being drawn by contingents, daily (fresh rations) or weekly (dry rations)]

  • Supply Section; SS [Logistics and communications Service/Department of Peacekeeping Operations]

  • surveillance [A systematic, observation of airspace or surface areas by visual, aural, electronic, photographic, or other means. ] [the systematic observation of a given area for patterns of activity of any kind, as opposed to more focused scouting or reconnaissance] see also: reconnaissance; scouting

  • sustainability [mobility, survivability and sustainability of all mission contingents vary depending on tasks deployment areas and national support (self sufficiency); medical sustainability: ability to maintain quality and quantity of treatment and evacuation, and to resupply and replace personnel]

  • sustainment phase [logistics; fourth phase in a peace-keeping operation, during which the logistic support of the contingents (once deployed) are arranged by the UN] see also: stand-by phase; mounting phase; deployment phase; redeployment phase

    • Return to the Glossary Index.

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    Prepared by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations
    Training Unit
    Not an official document of the United Nations
    Last updated: September 1998

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