UN police chiefs to gather in New York

The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) said that next week will be UN Police Week and the 10th meeting of the heads of UN Police Components will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York, a UN spokesman told reporters here Friday.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will address UN Police representatives before their briefing to the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"Throughout the week, there will be panel discussions on several issues, including partnerships, organized crime, conduct and welfare, as well as capacity building," the spokesman said. "The week will conclude with a briefing to the Security Council on Friday morning."

United Nations Police are deployed at the same time as military personnel in most peacekeeping operations and are deployed as advisers in a number of UN special political missions. Their duties are defined by the mandates that the missions are given by the UN Security Council and can range from executive to advisory functions.

The role of United Nations Police has expanded rapidly over the last decade. Not only has the United Nations almost tripled the number of police authorized for deployment, from less than 6,000 to more than 17,500, but also UN police mandates have become more multi-dimensional.

In the UN missions in Kosovo and Timor-Leste, UN Police were given an executive mandate to safeguard law and order while facilitating the launch of a new domestic police service. Endit