Standing Police CapAcity
In 2004, the General Assembly endorsed the proposal of the “High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change” for a Standing Police Capacity of 50 to 100 officers. In 2006, UN Member States approved an initial operational capacity of 25 professional police officers and in October 2007 the United Nations Standing Police Capacity (SPC) became operational.
A UNAMI training adviser on SPC of speaks to officers at the Sulaimanyah Governorate Police Directorate. UN Photo/Bikem Ekberzade
In November 2007, the SPC helped establish the UN Police component in the peacekeeping operation in the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT). Standing Police Capacity officers were deployed to Chad from November 2007 to August 2008 and established a police command structure, frameworks of cooperation with local and international counterparts, detailed logistical and infrastructural arrangements, and drafted mission specific guidelines for the MINURCAT police component.
The Standing Police Capacity is based at the United Nations Logistics Base (UNLB) in Brindisi, Italy. These specialized officers assist UN field operations and other United Nations agencies and programmes around the world. Following the earthquake in Haiti in early 2010, more than half of this capacity was deployed to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) within one week.
A Judicial and Corrections Standing Capacity, to work with the Standing Police Capacity, was approved by UN Member States in 2010.