History of United Nations Police
Timeline
2010
The United Nations Police Division is authorized to deploy more than 17,500 Police Officers.
2009 - More than 10,000 United Nations Police – Global Effort Launched
By 2009, the United Nations deployed 11,000 Police Officers from more than 100 countries. Almost every UN peace operation had a mandate for United Nations Police, and many of them missions were mandated to have thousands of police.
In August 2009 the United Nations launched its Global Effort to increase the number of female police officers in national and international police services. The goal set by the organization is to have 20% of its police female by 2014.
2007 - First all-female Formed Police Unit Deployed
In January, the first all-female Formed Police Unit is deployed from India to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). In July, 6,400 police officers are authorized for the African Union / United Nations Hybrid Operations in Darfur (UNAMID), of which 4,789 are deployed by June 2010.
2006 - Standing Police Capacity
The United Nations Standing Police Capacity was approved by UN Member States in 2006. Police officers and staff were operational by October 2007 and were immediately deployed to help set up the United Nations Police component in the UN mission in Chad (MINURCAT). The UN mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) was established with an executive mandate for United Nations Police.
1999 - First Formed Police Unit
The first Formed Police Unit deployed by the United Nations in the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
In 2000 there were 5,840 United Nations Police deployed in UN peacekeeping operations around the world.
1994 - Numbers Increase
By 1994 there were 1,677 United Nations Police deployed in peacekeeping operations. At that time, United Nations Police were referred to as Civilian Police or CIVPOL and in 2005 the name was changed to United Nations Police. United Nations Police played an important role in the UN operations in the former Yugoslavia: United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES), United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH), United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP), United Nations Civilian Police Support Group (UNPSG), United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO) and were given an executive mandate in the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
1989 - End of Cold War
In the 1990s the number of United Nations peacekeeping operations increased and United Nations Police components were deployed in United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG), United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL), United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) and United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC).
1964 - First Police Component
In 1964 the first “component” of police was deployed to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), a peacekeeping operation where United Nations Police still serve today.
1960 - First Police Deployment
The UN first deployed Police officers in 1960 to the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC).
