United Nations (UN)
The United Nations (UN) have deployed over millions of staffs and contract staff into verious war conflict state including UN agencies, funds, foods, material and programs to coordinate security practices and policies across the countries.
The executive heads have formalized the governance of deployment as a whole, as follows:
- Monitor and observe peace processes in post-conflict areas
- Provide security across a conflict zone
- Monitor a disputed border
- Protect civilians
- Assist in-country military personnel with training and support
- Assist ex-combatants in implementing the peace agreements they may have signed
- Provide medical aids
- Provide foods and waters
- Provide humanitarian materials etc
By the end of 2012, 3.8% of UN military personnel were female deployed. A top priority for UN military personnel is to increase the number of female military personnel in peacekeeping operations.
Any queries about working for the UN in a military capacity should be addressed within an applicants own country first.
The most common sort of UN peacekeeper is the infantry soldier. However, increasingly we deployed specialized personnel who we refer to as ‘enablers’. These skilled personnel include engineers, who for example were able to help with the post-earthquake reconstruction in Haiti, or the building of new roads in South Sudan. We also deployed helicopters and their crews, as they enable the UN to extend our area of influence and be much more visible. Other deployed specialist personnel enablers include transport companies, communicators and medical personnel. etc
Modern peacekeeping operations are often very complex, and place high demands on the personnel we deploy. High levels of training are required before deployment, and the UN works closely with Troop-Contributing Countries to provide the best help and advice possible. Troops must know what to do if they find themselves in an ambush, for example, and must be capable of responding appropriately, even robustly, if necessary.
It takes considerable time to deploy troops and we are often asked why we do not have a standing reserve.
The UN can only deploy military personnel when there is a UN Security Council resolution authorizing them to do so. The Security Council will say how many military personnel are required, and then UN Headquarters will liaise with the Member States to identify personnel and deploy them. This can take time – perhaps more than six months from the date of the resolution.
As former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, the UN is “the only fire brigade in the world that has to wait for the fire to break out before it can acquire a fire engine.” A standing reserve sounds logical, but it would be immensely costly to have a force of several thousand people on permanent standby. It would require training, accommodating, feeding, etc. and then might not even be used. Although it takes time, it is much more practical to generate the military personnel once the go-ahead has been given. This also ensures we recruit personnel with the appropriate background, training and language skills.
Every day, UN military personnel, medical personnel, etc are on deploy, providing vital security, medical assistant etc and stability in our missions around the world
Deployment's (as at February 2023)
17,954 total deployed personnel
- 13,221 troops
- 200 experts on mission
- 1,468 police personnel
- 2,268 civilians
- 389 staff officers
- 408 UN Volunteers
Currently deployed as of 02 September 2024, force consists of a total of 10,058 peacekeepers
33,603 total deployed personnel
- 10,058 troops
- 1,220 experts on mission
- 2,468 police personnel
- 4,561 civilians
- 4,184 staff officers
- 6,104 contract staff officers
- 5,008 UN Volunteers