On a mission – Jamaican cops shine as UN peacekeepers

The United Nations (UN) Charter gives its Security Council the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

UN peacekeeping operations are deployed on the basis of mandates from the Security Council, with each mission having its own mandate based on the circumstances that led to the resolution passed by the Security Council.

Peacekeeping operations may be required to prevent the outbreak of conflict or the spillover of conflict across borders, to assist in implementing comprehensive peace agreements, to lead states or territories through a transition to a stable government, or to stabilise conflict situations after a ceasefire for the parties to reach a lasting peace agreement.

Since the first UN peacekeeping operation was established in 1948, between Israel and its Arab neighbours, more than 3,200 police and military peacekeepers have lost their lives as a result of violence, accidents, and disease.

Notwithstanding, as a conflict resolution device, peacekeeping is an asset to global peace, security, and prosperity. While peacekeeping bears a colossal price in terms of lives lost, the UN has also achieved, and continues to boast, excellent results as it relates to lives saved having deployed more than 70 peacekeeping operations worldwide.

Jamaica's participation

Between April 1988 and 1989, the Government of Jamaica demonstrated its commitment to global peace and the strengthening of the UN capacity by contributing its human resources from the Jamaica Constabulary (JCF).

During the period, 23 members of the JCF (20 men and three women), led by now retired Assistant Commissioner Rudolph Dwyer and his deputy, now retired Assistant Commissioner Keith 'Trinity' Gardener, were dispatched to South West Africa for assignment with the UN Transition Assistance Group.

The contingent made its maiden trip to join associate peacekeepers to monitor that country's peace process and elections that led to its independence on March 21, 1990. Since 1989, the JCF has participated in six UN peacekeeping missions;

- Namibia (UNTAG)

- Liberia (UNMIL)

- East Timor (UNTAET)

- Sudan (UNMIS);

- African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)

- The UN Stabilisation Mission In Haiti (MINUSTAH)

The last peacekeeper returned home from Haiti in February, 2017.

Roles and responsibilities of Jamaican cops on UN Missions

The UN has no military forces of its own and depends on member states to provide the military and the police personnel required for peacekeeping operations.

Civilian police, police advisers, UN police, international police, experts on mission, peacekeepers are some of the names given to the police who are part of the mission's peacekeeping component.

The role of the police in a UN mission has evolved significantly from monitoring and reporting to include:

- Advisory

- Training

- Mentoring

- Patrolling as a means of reinforcing and or re-establishing security.

- Ensuring capacity building of the host country in terms of its institutional compliance with international standards of human rights.

- Standardising and enhancing training in requisite areas to ensure transfer of knowledge and proficiency.

- Promoting public safety and the rule of law.

The police augment the civilian and military components to realise lasting peace and security in countries in conflict, post conflict as well as other crisis situations that impede the protection of civilians and compromise the rule of law.

More recently, the UN has adopted community policing and intelligence-led policing as part of its strategy to protect civilians and stem human rights violation relating to sexual violence, sexual and gender-based violence, organised crime, as well as monitoring to ensure fair and transparent elections.

The military's role is dependent on the conflict. The civilians - who include UN staff, contractors, humanitarian agencies, non-government organisations, and regional and international organisations - provide administrative, logistics, and political support to the police and military and are generally the smallest group in the mission.

In supporting peacekeeping operations, the Jamaican police occupied senior essential positions of leadership in the missions to which they were assigned.

These positions included training coordinator, site team commander, professional standards team leader, chief police information officer, executive officer, station commander and narcotics team leader, among others.

The versatility of the JCF members in managing these roles in the mission is accredited to the training and experiences gained while in the various departments, divisions, or formations they were assigned locally.

In Liberia, the Jamaican police women were celebrated as the most competent and skilled drivers and co-locators. Their service and willingness to foster confidence and trust with the citizens were highly admired to the extent that at end of their mission, the UN police commissioner lamented their departure and organised a special meeting to congratulate and thank them for their invaluable service to the mission.

Benefits of Jamaica's participating in peacekeeping To the host country

Peacekeeping and peace building is the world investing in itself. Jamaica has recognised the value of this investment. That is "protections of right" as against the "focus on might".

September 18, 1962, marked Jamaica's entry into this world body as a member. While still a colony, Jamaica was the first country to declare a trade embargo against South Africa as early as 1957, and today, continues to stand with Cuba against a trade embargo.

Jamaica's role in ending apartheid in South Africa has since been internationally recognised, and Jamaica continues to play a major role in drawing international attention to and focus on topics such as women issues, human rights, indebtedness, and economic growth and development.

Jamaica's peacekeepers are recognised in UN missions for their knowledge and commitment and as role models for their objectivity, compassion, professionalism, and genuineness towards other peacekeepers and to the citizens of the host country.

In all the missions Jamaicans have participated in, they were trusted and accepted wholeheartedly, not only because they were peacekeepers with the UN, but because they were Jamaica.

To the home country

Jamaicans are valuable and are valued around the globe, and international peacekeeping enhances this value.

It enhances Jamaica's profile before the UN. It's a demonstration of Jamaica's willingness, and its desire, to play a role in world affairs.

As a small country, Jamaica would be in a position to elicit international help readily if the need arise. Jamaica is also given monetary compensation from the UN for each peacekeeper.

The peacekeepers also learn about other people and cultures and gain new experiences from the exposure to the world.

As a retired police woman and peacekeeper who has benefited from both the experiences of the JCF and UN peacekeeping operations, it is my fervent wish that the Jamaican Government will continue to send persons on peacekeeping missions.

Our problems at home may seem enormous, but having been exposed, ours pale in comparison to what others face daily.

- Oberlene Smith Whyte is a retired superintendent of police who has served as a UN peacekeeper. Feedback: editorial@gleanerjm.com