World-wide: deployment as UN military expert on mission or ... · Western Sahara: Swiss military...

Schweizer ArmeeKompetenzzentrum SWISSINT

World-wide: deployment as

UN military expert on

mission or staff officer

Schweizer Armee / Kompetenzzentrum SWISSINT 2

Worldwide Swiss Officers on Mission

26 Swiss officers on peace support missions.


Current Missions

Swiss officers serve in PSO missions in these countries.


Finances

UN-Resolution Conflict

Consent of

conflicting parties

Deployment

Mandate Troops

Principles for a UN Mission


Offical note to the complete Federal Council

Process of a UN Non-Armed Peace

Mission

Decision by the head of the DDPS in cooperation

with the DFA

Planning, recruiting and training

by SWISSINT

Permanent mission to UN informs DFA

DFA informs DDPS


National Legal Basis

Mission of the Armed Forces: They contribute to international peace

support.

Decree on

• peace-keeping operations

personnel, enhancing

human rights and

humanitarian aid of

25 August 2009

• peace support service of

26 February 1997

Mandate related decisions of the

Swiss Federal Council / Parliament

Military service regulations (DRA)

‘annex on peace support service’

Tactics Field Manual (TF) 17

chapter 10 peace support operations

Swiss Military Code Article 1, item 4 and article 66:


Compatible with our Neutrality

1. UN-mandate;

2. Agreement of the conflict parties ;

3. Legal basis Swiss military law:

- Art. 1, Para. 3;

- Revised article 66 (66a / 66b).


Military Observer Duties

• They observe;

• They patrol;

• They talk to various actors on both sides of the

cease-fire line;

• They report to UN headquarters.

Military observers are always unarmed.

To ensure impartiality they serve in small international

teams.


Liaison Officer Duties

• Patrol in international teams in collaboration with

the local armed forces;

• Ensure contact between the UN and local key

protagonists (governmental authorities,

international and regional relief organisations);

• Provide the connective element between the UN

mission and the local armed forces.

Liaison officers are never armed.


Staff Officer Duties

• Work in an international military staff;

• Operate in various fields: evaluation of intelligence,

planning, operations, logistics and training;

• Work location at main or sector headquarters.

Staff officers are never armed.


Requirements

• Swiss officers from first lieutenant upwards;

• Completed vocational training or studies;

• Driving license category B;

• Solid oral and written command of the English

language;

• Between 25 and 50 years of age;

• Negotiation skills and diplomacy;

• Mental and physical stamina;

• Completed course (SUNMOC / D1);

• Willing to serve on a mission for a year after

completion of training.


Preparatory course for mission (1 week)

)

Recruitment

Training course SUNMOC (5 weeks)

Driving course for armoured vehicles (2 weeks)

Deployment

Public call for tenders

Women/men who extend term of service

SWISSINT personnel pool

Recruitment procedure / assessment


SUNMOC

SUNMOC = Swiss United Nation Military Observer Course


Middle East (UNTSO)

13 Swiss nationals are serving in UNTSO.

.


• Supervise the armistice;

• Supervise the truce on the Golan Heights and in

Southern Lebanon;

• Collaboration with the two blue helmet missions of

UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) and UNDOF

(UN Disengagement Observer Force). Military

observers are able to support these missions within

the context of their tasks.

UNTSO Mandate


• 5 stations: Jerusalem (HQ), Golan Israeli side,

Lebanon (Southern Lebanon + Beirut), Syria

(Damascus) and Egypt;

• The observation posts (OPs) on the Golan Heights

are simply furnished, cleaning and cooking are part of

the UNMO‘s tasks (2 to 4 on each OP);

• Duty on an OP is usually for 7 days; subsequent

return to base for at least 3 days;

• The UNMOs‘ tasks vary greatly depending on where

they have been deployed.

Mission Routine


DR Congo (MONUSCO)

Two Swiss nationals are serving in MONUSCO.


• The protection of civilians has top priority, but

MONUSCO also protects humanitarian staff, UN

personnel, infrastructure and equipment;

• Supports in co-operation with national and

international partner governments efforts to

strengthen military capacity, incl. military justice and

military police;

• Supports renewal of police forces;

• Assists the government in consolidating state

authority in areas that could be liberated from armed

groups.

MONUSCO Mandate


• Swiss officers are deployed as staff officers to the

sector headquarters in Goma;

• Mission languages English and French;

• Six working days a week;

• Accommodation in civilian buildings;

• The Swiss Armed Forces also support UNMAS

MONUSCO by providing operations officers from the

NBC EOD Centre of Competence and humanitarian

demining specialists.

Mission Routine


South Sudan (UNMISS)

One Swiss national is serving in UNMISS.


UNMISS Mandate

• Support of government in protecting civilians;

• Support in consolidating peace and thus long-term

state forming and economic development;

• Support of government in carrying out its

responsibilities in conflict prevention, conflict

mitigation and resolving conflict.


• Successor mission of UNMIS;

• The Swiss work as staff officers;

• Mission language is English;


• Accommodation in residential containers;

• The Swiss Armed Forces also give UNMAS UNMISS

support with specialists for mine action.

Mission Routine


Mali (MINUSMA)

Five Swiss nationals are serving in MINUSMA.


• Stabilising the most important population centres

and assisting in the re-establishment of the

government’s authority throughout the country;

• Supporting the implementation of the transition plan,

including national political dialogue and election

process;

• Protecting civilians and UN staff;

• Promoting and safeguarding human rights;

• Creating a safe environment so that humanitarian

relief organisations are able to carry out their work;

• Supporting national and international law.

MINUSMA Mandate


• Six Swiss officers are deployed as staff officers;

• Mission language is English and French;


• Three locations: Bamako (HQ), Gao and Mopti;

• Living in UN accommodations and in some cases

private accommodations (Bamako).

Mission Routine


Kashmir (UNMOGIP)

Three Swiss nationals are serving in UNMOGIP.


UNMOGIP has existed since 1948 and is a classical

military observer mission.

UNMOGIP's current mandate comprises the following

task:

Monitor developments that relate to compliance with

the armistice of 17 December 1971 and report these to

the UN Secretary General.

UNMOGIP Mandate


• One of the oldest missions (since 1948);

• Small mission with about 40 military observers;

• Mission language is English;

• Accommodation in apartments;

• Patrols also in alpine terrain;

• Change of headquarters between

Islamabad/Pakistan (November-April) and

Srinagar/India (May-October).

Mission Routine


Western Sahara (MINURSO)

Two Swiss nationals are serving in MINURSO.


MINURSO Mandate

MINURSO's mandate comprises the following tasks:

• Monitoring the armistice;

• Verification of troop reduction agreed on by the

conflicting parties;

• Monitoring of troop restrictions, weapons and

ammunition;

• Providing security for repatriating refugees;

• Identification and registration of voters;

• Organisation and implementation of a referendum on

the independence of the Western Sahara or its

integration into Morocco.


• The Swiss nationals are stationed as military

observers in the area of operations on both sides of

the sand wall;

• Mission languages English and French;


• The Swiss Armed Forces also give UNMAS

MINURSO support with specialists for mine action.

Mission Routine


Middle East: Swiss military observer on the Golan Heights.


Middle East: an observer post on the Golan Heights.


DR Congo: Swiss staff officer at headquarters.


South Sudan: Such road conditions are commonplace.


South Sudan: Swiss staff officer.


Mali: UN headquarters of MINUSMA.


Kashmir: since January 2014, the Swiss are on the team.


Kashmir: Swiss military observer on patrol.


Western Sahara: The patrols traverse endless deserts.


Western Sahara: Swiss military observer on patrol.


Swiss nationals are appreciated by other armed forces

because:

• Apart from their military expertise, Swiss officers also

provide much civilian knowledge and skills;

• Thanks to their technical expertise, the Swiss

officers are able to contribute to the success of a

mission with niche products that are in demand;

• The Swiss officers are multi-lingual;

• The Swiss officers are willing to make concessions.

International Cooperation


The local population, authorities and organisations

appreciate the Swiss soldiers because:

• Switzerland is neutral;

• Switzerland has no colonial heritage;

• And Swiss soldiers are thus best suited to serve as

peace-keepers.

Impression on Location


• 12 months of real mission deployment abroad;

• Practical operational command with strict security

conditions;

• Operational cooperation with other armed forces;

• Communication across great distances;

• Logistic supply across international borders.

Added Value for the Swiss Armed

Forces

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