Canadian Police participation in NATO, UN, and EU missions in the Balkans
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The RCMP and more than 20 other Canadian police agencies participated in the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) from June 1999 to March 2004. Up to 92 police officers served with the mission each year to maintain law and order and help build a democratic police service in Kosovo. Canada also provided police officers to the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) and its successor, the European Union Police Mission (EUPM), from 1996 to 2005. Their role was to help develop an effective civilian police force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Canadian police are involved with:
- supporting the operational activities of Kosovo police supporting partners and embassies on legal and justice matters
- collecting information related to law enforcement activities to identify potential security gaps
- promoting priorities of the mission including:
- inter-community trust building
- respect for human rights
- gender equality
- empowering women and youth
Civilian participants in these missions included Canadian Border Services (CBSA), Correctional Services Canada (CSC) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) have participated in multiple missions within the Balkans, each with different Rules of Engagement, Objectives and circumstances. Canadians were regarded as one of the most effective forces within the United Nations (UN) and North Atlantic North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) deployments.
