Security Council resolution 2185 (2014) [on the role of policing in peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding]
Symbol: S/RES/2185 (2014)
Date: 2014-11-20
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/69 [18] PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
Subjects: UN. Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|INTERNATIONAL POLICE|PEACEBUILDING|POLICE
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ARGENTINA
vote: yes
country: AUSTRALIA
vote: yes
country: CHAD
vote: yes
country: CHILE
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: JORDAN
vote: yes
country: LITHUANIA
vote: yes
country: LUXEMBOURG
vote: yes
country: NIGERIA
vote: yes
country: REPUBLIC OF KOREA
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: RWANDA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                   S/RES/2185 (2014)
               Security Council                                                 Distr.: General
                                                                                20 November 2014




               Resolution 2185 (2014)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 7317th meeting, on
               20 November 2014

                    The Security Council,
                     Recalling its primary responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations
               for the maintenance of international peace and security,
                    Recalling its resolutions 2151 (2014) on security sector reform, 2167 (2014)
               and 2086 (2013) on United Nations peacekeeping operations, 1894 (2009) on the
               protection of civilians, 1325 (2000) and all subsequent resolutions on women, peace
               and security, 2143 (2014) and previous resolutions on children and armed conflict,
               2117 (2013) on small arms and light weapons, and the statements of its President of
               21 February 2014 on the rule of law (S/PRST/2014/5) and 20 December 2012 on
               post-conflict peacebuilding (S/PRST/2012/29), as well as other relevant resolutions
               and statements of its President,
                     Reiterating the need for a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention and
               sustainable peace, which comprises operational and structural measures for the
               prevention of armed conflict and addresses its root causes, including through
               strengthening the rule of law at international and national levels and pro moting
               sustained economic growth, poverty eradication, social development, sustainable
               development, national reconciliation, good governance, democracy, gender equality
               and respect for, and protection of, human rights,
                     Stressing that the success of the mandates of peacekeeping operations and
               special political missions requires close cooperation between the different elements
               of these missions under the overall leadership of the Head of Mission,
                     Reaffirming its commitment to uphold the purposes and principles of the
               Charter of the United Nations, including its commitment to and respect for the
               principles of political independence, sovereign equality and territorial integrity of
               all States in conducting all peacekeeping activities and the need for States t o comply
               with their obligations under international law,
                    Reaffirming that respect for the basic principles of peacekeeping, including
               consent of the parties, impartiality, and non-use of force, except in self-defence and
               defence of the mandate, is essential to the success of peacekeeping operations,




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                     Recognizing that the mandate of each peacekeeping operation and special
               political mission is specific to the needs and situation of the country concerned,
                    Reaffirming the principles of impartiality, consent of the parties, national
               ownership and national responsibility, and stressing the significance of the views of
               and dialogue with countries hosting special political missions,
                    Noting that host-State policing institutions are often the primary link betwe en
               the government and communities on security issues, and reiterating that
               professional, effective, accountable, and accessible law enforcement, corrections,
               and judicial institutions are necessary to lay the foundation for sustainable peace
               and national development,
                     Acknowledging the significant growth in the role of Police Components as an
               integral part of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political
               missions, and the increasingly diverse and complex policing-related tasks in the
               mandates of such operations and missions, noting that Police Components can
               include both uniformed United Nations Police officers and civilian policing experts,
               noting the distinct roles performed by Individual Police Officers (IPOs) and Formed
               Police Units (FPUs) and the increasing demand for these different capacities,
               stressing that use of these capacities should be based on the situation and the needs
               of the host State and noting the necessity of aligning tasks of United Nations police
               components with missions’ mandated tasks,
                     Stressing that United Nations policing-related work makes an invaluable
               contribution to peacekeeping, post-conflict peacebuilding, security, the rule of law,
               and the creation of a basis for development,
                    Recalling that policing-related aspects of mandates of United Nations
               peacekeeping operations and special political missions may include support for the
               reform, restructuring and development of host State policing and other law
               enforcement institutions; providing operational support to host-State policing and
               other law enforcement institutions; and conducting interim policing and other law
               enforcement,
                    Underlining the importance of close coordination of the range of United
               Nations policing activities, both at headquarters and in the fi eld, in particular
               between Security Council-mandated missions and the United Nations Country
               Team, as appropriate, and encouraging relevant United Nations entities mandated to
               undertake policing activities to work through existing coordination mechanisms, as
               appropriate,
                     Noting that United Nations Police Components face a range of challenges,
               including a need for specialized skills and equipment and to ensure a unified
               policing approach, given the various policing models across police -contributing
               countries,
                    Recalling reports of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of the
               General Assembly which have provided guidance to the United Nations Secretariat
               on the subject of United Nations policing, including the development of a United
               Nations standardized approach to policing, and recognising the inclusive
               consultative process undertaken by the Police Division of the United Nations
               Department of Peacekeeping Operations in the development of the Strategic
               Guidance Framework for International Police Peacekeeping,



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                 Emphasizing the importance of Member States contributing police with
           professional skills, experience and expertise to carry out the mandated tasks, who
           are appropriately trained and vetted and, where appropriate, operationally ready and
           deployed with the full complement of contingent-owned equipment, welcoming
           cooperation between the United Nations, police-contributing countries, other
           member states and relevant regional and international organizations to help ensure
           FPUs are properly trained and equipped, and underscoring the importance of such
           cooperation,
                 Noting the increasing use of modern technologies by United Nations Police
           Components, including information and communication technologies such as closed
           circuit television, specialized crime data software and geographic information
           mapping systems, and other technologies such as advanced metal detectors,
           laboratory equipment and drug, explosive and ballistic detection and analysis
           systems, to increase their abilities to carry out their mandates efficiently and
           effectively and to enhance their safety and security, and encouraging the United
           Nations Secretariat to ensure that these technologies, when deployed, are integrated
           effectively into United Nations policing work consistent with the purposes and
           principles of the Charter of the United Nations and of the basic principles of
           peacekeeping, and that the confidentiality of all data gathered by such assets is
           preserved as detailed in relevant specific procedures,
                 Welcoming the announcement of the Secretary-General of a comprehensive
           review of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions
           and taking note of the announcement of the Secretary-General of the establishment
           of a high level independent panel to conduct the review,
                 Noting the designation of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the
           United Nations Development Programme as the joint global focal point for police,
           justice and corrections areas,
                Recalling the sovereign right and the primary responsibility of the State
           concerned to determine the national approach and priorities of security sector
           reform, including reform of policing and other law enforcement institutions, and
           recognizing that such reform should be a nationally owned process that is roote d in
           the particular needs and conditions of the country in question and encouraging the
           development of expertise in the field of security sector reform at the national level,
                 Noting the important role that United Nations Police Components can play in
           supporting, and coordinating international support for, reform of host State policing
           institutions and building policing capacity in a comprehensive way that emphasizes
           a community-oriented approach and is integrated with other areas of security sector
           reform and the rule of law,
                Emphasising that good governance and oversight of policing and law
           enforcement services, within the framework of a functional justice and corrections
           system, are important in ensuring that those services are accountable, responsive
           and capable of serving the population,
                 Highlighting the important role that United Nations Police Components can
           play, where mandated, in consultation with the host State and in collaboration with
           other components, in supporting host States to uphold their primary responsibility to
           protect civilians as well as respect and ensure the human rights of all individuals
           within their territory and subject to their jurisdiction, including inter alia through:


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               monitoring and deterrence, early warning and prevention, support to basic safety
               and security, physical protection, creating protective environments, assisting
               national security sector reform programs, capacity building, and political
               engagement with host-State counterparts,
                     Reaffirming the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of
               conflicts and in peacebuilding, stressing the importance of their equal participation
               and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and
               security, and the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to
               conflict prevention and resolution, including in relation to policing and the rule of
               law,
                     Taking note of and encouraging the increased participation of female police in
               United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions, thereby
               contributing to the effectiveness of relevant mandate implementation, including by
               providing diverse perspectives which can assist in building trust with local
               communities; improving the protection of women and children from v iolence and
               abuse; and facilitating gender-sensitive police approaches and mentoring,
                     Recalling the launch of the United Nations Global Effort in 2009 to promote
               an increase in the percentage of female police officers in United Nations
               peacekeeping missions to 20 per cent by 2014, welcoming the increase in female
               police in peacekeeping operations since the launch of the United Nations Global
               Effort, and encouraging States and the United Nations Secretary-General to
               strengthen efforts to support the realisation of the 20 per cent goal,
                      Recognizing innovative practices to improve the success of United Nations
               policing in recognizing specific needs of women in conflict and post -conflict
               environments, including the need for protection from sexual and gender -based
               violence and for community strategies that reflect women’s needs, such as the
               deployment of women within FPUs and the establishment of special protection
               units,
                     Reiterating that the protection of children in armed conflict should be an
               important aspect of any comprehensive strategy to resolve conflict and build peace,
               reiterating in this regard the importance of providing United Nations Police
               Components with specialized pre-deployment and in-mission training on missionspecific child protection and on appropriate comprehensive child-sensitive
               prevention and protection responses, as well as monitoring and reporting on
               violations and abuses committed against children, and stressing the importance of
               enhancing coordination between Police Components and child protection advisers as
               well as gender and women protection advisers,
                     Highlighting the important role that United Nations Police Components can
               play in building the capacity of host-State policing and other law enforcement
               institutions, as mandated, to address organized crime, particularly through support
               in the areas of border, immigration and maritime security and crime prevention,
               response and investigation,
                     Highlighting that impartial, responsive, accountable, community-oriented
               police institutions with well-trained personnel can help to counter violent
               extremism, including through building trust and dialogue between state authorities
               and communities,



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                Noting the role that Police Components can play in assisting host governments
           in implementation and compliance monitoring of Council-mandated sanctions
           measures including, where mandated, through provision of advice and assistance,
                 Recognizing the role that regional and subregional organizations can play in
           post-conflict peacebuilding including security sector reform (SSR) and disarmament,
           demobilization and reintegration (DDR), rule of law, recovery, reconstruction and
           development processes, including through support for host State policing and other
           law enforcement institutions, and affirming the importance of interaction and
           cooperation between peacekeeping operations and special political missions and
           regional and subregional organizations and arrangements,
                 Paying tribute to the memory of United Nations peacekeepers who have lost
           their lives in the cause of peace, and in this regard, underscoring the importance of
           safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers, expressing grave concern about
           the security threats and targeted attacks against United Nations peacekeepers in
           many peacekeeping missions that constitute a major challenge to United Nations
           peacekeeping operations, condemning in the strongest terms killing of and all acts of
           violence against United Nations peacekeeping personnel, and emphasizing that
           perpetrators of such attacks must be brought to justice,
                 Reaffirming that the primary responsibility for the security and protection of
           personnel employed by the United Nations system organizations rests with the host
           Government, and noting that complementary to the host Government responsibility,
           the safety and security of individually deployed police personnel in United Nations
           peacekeeping operations and special political missions, including, but not limited to
           United Nations police officers, or members of FPUs when not deployed wit h their
           unit, falls under the security arrangements of the United Nations Security
           Management System,
                1.    Resolves to include, as appropriate, policing as an integral part of the
           mandates of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political mis sions,
           and to give clear, credible, and achievable mandates for policing -related activities,
           matched by appropriate resources;
                2.    Stresses the importance of strong cooperation and coordination between
           United Nations Police Components and other elements of peacekeeping operations
           and special political missions, in support of the mandate and under the overall
           leadership of the Head of Mission;
                 3.   Urges police-contributing countries to continue to contribute professional
           police personnel with the necessary skills, equipment and experience to implement
           mission mandates, including, where relevant, multidimensional peacekeeping
           mandates, underlining the importance of appropriate language skills at relevant
           levels to fulfil the mandate and of gender expertise, and urges prospective policecontributors to also contribute such personnel, to help ensure the demand for
           professional police personnel in United Nations peacekeeping operations and special
           political missions is fully met;
                 4.   Requests the Secretary-General to further promote professionalism,
           effectiveness and system-wide coherence in the policing-related work of the United
           Nations including, in close consultation, as appropriate, with Member States and the
           Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations in full respect of its vital role,
           through:


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                    a.   the development and implementation of standards and guidance for
                    United Nations policing-related work, through the Strategic Guidance
                    Framework for International Police Peacekeeping;
                    b.    the development of comprehensive, standardized training for United
                    Nations Police Components, including pre-deployment, induction and
                    in-service training;
                    c.   the provision of senior police leadership training, including through the
                    Senior Mission Leaders’ Course;
                    d.   the development of strong processes for evaluating the effectiveness of
                    United Nations policing-related work;
                    e.    the streamlining and improvement of recruitment and deployment
                    procedures for United Nations police and civilian policing experts, recognizing
                    that the Fifth Committee is the appropriate main committee of the United
                    Nations General Assembly entrusted with administrative and budgetary
                    matters; and
                    f.    the coordination of work within the United Nations system on reform of
                    policing and law enforcement institutions;
                     5.    Recognizes that political leadership and the will of national authorities
               are critical to reforming host State policing and other law enforcement services,
               emphasizes the lead role of the host-State’s authorities in developing, as part of an
               inclusive national vision for its security sector, a strategy for policing and other law
               enforcement that promotes the rule of law and respects human rights, coordinating
               the implementation of the vision, dedicating national resources towards policing,
               law enforcement and other security institutions, and monitoring the impact of
               security sector reform processes, including policing reform;
                     6.   Urges Member States and international partners to support, upon request,
               host State efforts to professionalize policing and other law enforcement agencies,
               within the context of broader security sector reform, and to ensure that international
               policing support is well-coordinated in support of a nationally-agreed plan, and
               underscores that such support should be tailored to the needs of the host State;
                    7.   Recognizes that reform of police and other law enforcement institutions
               needs to be in support of, and informed by, inclusive political processes and
               agreements, to enhance the legitimacy of the institutions concerned an d ensure wide
               ownership of such reform;
                     8.    Notes the important role that United Nations Police Components can
               play, where mandated, in strengthening the rule of law in conflict and post -conflict
               situations, by inter-alia, providing operational support to host State policing and
               other law enforcement institutions, and supporting the reform, restructuring and
               rebuilding of such institutions including through technical assistance, co -location,
               training and mentoring programs, in the context of broader effort s to strengthen the
               rule of law and reform the security sector, where mandated;
                     9.    In this regard, requests the Secretary-General to consider, as appropriate,
               security sector reform, including reform of policing and other law enforcement
               institutions, in the overall strategic planning of peacekeeping operations and special
               political missions in each country-specific context, and to work with Member States



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           to enhance the capabilities and expertise of United Nations Police Components in
           relation to capacity development and institution building, including in the areas of:
                a.   operational policing,      including    community-oriented      policing   and
                information-based policing;
                b.    administration, management and leadership;
                c.    governance, oversight and evaluation;
                d.    policy formulation and strategic planning; and
                e.    coordination with partners;
                 10. Emphasizes the role of peacekeeping operations and special political
           missions in supporting host-State policing institutions in their preparation to
           transition to function self-sufficiently, and underlines that this preparation for
           transition should be based on a timely analysis of need, in consultation with the host
           State, of any assistance beyond the duration of the presence of the peacekeeping
           operation or special political mission, to enable United Nations peacebuilding and
           development actors, including the United Nations Country Team, to undertake the
           necessary strategic planning and resource mobilisation, working in close partnership
           with host-State authorities, and to transfer skills and expertise to host-State officials
           and experts as quickly as possible in order to ensure a successful and durable
           transition;
                 11. Encourages the Secretary-General’s Special Representatives and Envoys
           to fully take into account the strategic value of security sector reform, including
           reform of host State policing and other law enforcement institutions, in their work,
           as appropriate, in the context of broader security sector reform efforts, including
           through their good offices where mandated;
                 12. Welcomes the work of the United Nations Standing Police Capacity in
           providing expertise across the broad range of policing activities and providing a
           rapid, coherent, effective and responsive start-up capability for the Police
           Components of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political
           missions, and assisting existing missions through the provision of advice, expertise,
           base-line assessments and evaluation;
                13. Requests the Secretariat to continue refining the composition of t he
           United Nations Standing Police Capacity to ensure it includes skill sets to meet
           contemporary demands, including through enabling partnerships with member states
           and regional organisations;
                14. Notes with appreciation the efforts made by the Department of
           Peacekeeping Operation’s Police Division to continue to explore the use of
           “specialized police teams” for police capacity-building, and requests the Secretary-General to report on this use, as appropriate;
                 15. Notes the Secretariat’s efforts to enhance inter-mission cooperation,
           including through the rapid redeployment of FPUs, recognizes that such cooperation
           can provide timely responses for critically needed capacity as an interim, short -term
           measure, notes the logistical challenges that can undermine the effectiveness of
           inter-mission cooperation, and encourages the Secretariat, in consultation with
           police-contributing countries, to continue to assess the practice of inter-mission



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               cooperation with a view to streamlining standing operating procedures and
               improving the effectiveness of such cooperation;
                    16. Notes the importance of the deployment of civilian policing experts, with
               adequate and appropriate skills and expertise, to United Nations peacekeeping
               operations and special political missions;
                    17. Affirms the central role of the protection of civilians, where mandated, in
               the work undertaken by United Nations Police Components;
                     18. Affirms the importance of the role that United Nations Police Components
               can play, where mandated, in supporting the efforts of host authorities in the
               protection of civilians, particularly those under imminent threat of physical
               violence, including all forms of sexual and gender based violence, and in this
               regard, while recognising that protection of civilians is t he primary responsibility of
               the host State, helping to build and reform policing and law enforcement institutions
               of the host State so they are able to sustainably and consistently protect civilians;
                     19. Highlights the critical role that United Nations Police Components can
               play in facilitating the participation and inclusion of women in dialogue on conflict
               resolution and peacebuilding, including on rule of law and security issues;
                     20. Encourages police-contributing countries to increase the percentage of
               women police in deployments to United Nations peacekeeping operations, in
               particular senior officers, including in leadership roles, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to support innovative efforts to encourage such deployment of
               women police and to enhance coordination between Police Components and child
               protection advisers as well as gender and women protection advisers;
                     21. Encourages police-contributing countries to provide all police personnel
               with adequate training to carry out their responsibilities in relation to sexual and
               gender-based violence and child protection, and further encourages relevant United
               Nations entities to make available appropriate guidance and training modules,
               including in particular the United Nations pre-deployment scenario-based training
               on prevention of sexual and gender-based violence and on children and armed
               conflict;
                     22. Requests the Secretary-General to continue and strengthen efforts to
               implement the policy of zero tolerance on sexual exploitation an d abuse by United
               Nations personnel, as well as the policy on prohibition of child labour in United
               Nations peacekeeping operations, and urges police-contributing countries to take
               appropriate preventative action, including pre-deployment and in-mission awareness
               training and other action to ensure full accountability, including prosecutions, in
               cases of such conduct involving their nationals;
                    23. Notes the importance of United Nations policing-related support to
               non-United Nations security forces adhering to the Human Rights Due Diligence
               Policy;
                     24. Reiterates that United Nations peacekeeping operations and special
               political missions, including Police Components, located in a host State with
               Council-mandated sanctions regime, may, if deemed necessary b y the Council,
               provide appropriate expertise to the host government, relevant sanctions committee
               and relevant experts groups, in the implementation and the compliance monitoring



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           of that sanctions regime, and further notes the importance of appropriate training for
           United Nations Police Components in this regard;
                  25. Reiterates that United Nations peacekeeping operations and special
           political missions, including Police Components, may, if mandated by the Council,
           assist in capacity building for host governments, as requested, to implement
           commitments under existing global and regional instruments and to address the
           illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, including inter alia through
           weapons collection, disarmament, demobilization and reintegra tion programmes,
           enhancing physical security and stockpile management practices, record keeping
           and tracing capacities, development of national export and import control systems,
           enhancement of border security, and strengthening judicial institutions, poli cing and
           other law enforcement capacities;
                 26. Encourages information sharing, where relevant and appropriate,
           between Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, the Department of
           Peacekeeping Operations including its Police Division, the Departme nt of Political
           Affairs, the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, the UN Office on Drugs and
           Crime, the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and the United Nations
           Development Program, within existing mandates and resources, when considering
           means to address, in a comprehensive and integrated manner, transnational
           organized crime, terrorism and violent extremism which can be conducive to
           terrorism;
                 27. Encourages the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate to enhance its
           dialogue and information sharing with Special Envoys, the Department of Political
           Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, with respect to policing
           activities, including during the planning stages of missions, as appropriate, in
           relation to implementation of resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005), and requests
           the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate to identify principal gaps in Member
           States’ capacities, including the capacities of their policing and other law -
           enforcement institutions, to implement Security Cou ncil resolutions 1373 (2001)
           and 1624 (2005);
                 28. Affirms that United Nations Police Components, deployed as part of a
           United Nations peacekeeping operation, may, if mandated by the Council, provide
           support, in consultation with the host State, as feasibl e and where appropriate, to the
           efforts of national authorities, without prejudice to the responsibilities of those
           authorities, to bring to justice those responsible for serious international crimes;
                 29. Encourages closer coordination and cooperation on policing issues
           between the United Nations Secretariat and international, regional and sub -regional
           organisations, INTERPOL and regional police organizations, including through
           training, the sharing and exchange of information, thematic expertise, and
           operational support, as appropriate;
                30. Reiterates the need to further strengthen cooperation and consultation
           with police-contributing countries, including through triangular cooperation
           between the Security Council, troop and police-contributing countries and the
           United Nations Secretariat, to foster a spirit of partnership, cooperation, confidence
           and mutual trust;
                 31. Expresses its intention to consider holding an annual meeting on policing
           issues with the Heads of United Nations Police Components;


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                     32. Encourages the Secretary-General to consider the increasing role of
               policing, along with the many other critical issues related to peacekeeping
               operations and special political missions, in his upcoming strategic review of United
               Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions, as appropriate;
                    33. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report by the end of 2016 on
               the role of policing as an integral part of peacekeeping and post -conflict
               peacebuilding, with particular focus on the challenges faced by Police Components
               of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions, and
               making recommendations on how best to strengthen their contribution to the
               achievement of mission mandates.




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