The fifteenth anniversary of operation provides an excellent opportunity to draw attention to our work. With its international recognition and membership in international and other organisations such as the UN, EU, NATO, OSCE, WEU, etc., the Republic of Slovenia took on an active role in international security structures. The Slovenian Police have thus been taking part, since 1997, in international civilian missions under the auspices of different international organisations performing their important tasks of providing security and establishing democratic institutions in various areas of crisis throughout the world.
Slovenia's involvement in police peacekeeping began in 1997 when the first Slovenian Police officer was seconded to the MAPE mission in Albania. Since then, the number of police officers participating in civilian missions has steadily increased. At present, the Slovenian Police participate with about 30 peacekeeping officers on a yearly basis in all international civilian missions we are involved in.
In the beginning, cooperation was modest and symbolic, albeit very important because of the knowledge and experience gained. In 2000, the largest, 15-strong Slovenian Police contingent was seconded to the international civilian mission UNMIK CIVPOL in Kosovo. During that year, the number of police officers deployed to missions rose to 20, such a number of officers seconded abroad requiring adequate organisation and a systematic approach to this field of police work.
The scope of tasks related to participation in international civilian missions kept getting larger. Apart from participation in missions under the auspices of international organisations, the Slovenian Police also participated in two multilateral missions under the leadership of the USA and the coalition interim administration in Afghanistan and Jordan.
To date, the police have participated in civilian missions:
- MAPE (Multinational Advisory Police Element) Albania,
- UNTAET (United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor) East Timor,
- UNMISET (United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor) East Timor,
- OSCE KPSS (Kosovo Police Service School) Kosovo,
- OSCE SMMS (Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje) Macedonia,
- EUPM (European Union Police Mission) Bosnia and Herzegovina,
- UNMIK (United Nations Interim Administration Mission) Kosovo,
- IPTM (International Police Training Mission) Afghanistan and
- JIPTC (Jordan International Police Training Centre) Jordan.
At present, 19 police officers are deployed in missions:
- EULEX (European Union Rule of Law Mission) Kosovo (14),
- EUMM (European Union Monitoring Mission) Georgia (2),
- EUPOL COPPS (European Union Police Mission in the Palestinian Territories) Palestine (2) and
- OSCE Serbia (1).
While in the past we have mostly been participating in missions in the Western Balkan region, where our knowledge of the history, culture, population mentality and language greatly contributed to the endeavours of the international police community towards the stabilisation of the situation, consideration will have to be given to increasing our participation particularly in the countries of the Near East, as this area is in immediate vicinity of the European Union and the Republic of Slovenia. With a view to preventing terrorism, illegal trafficking in human beings, weapons and illicit drugs and other security threats posed both to Slovenia and to the European Union, as well as to contribute to global security, Slovenia should consider seconding peacekeeping officers to geographically more distant regions, even though the Strategy of Participation of the Republic of Slovenia in International Operations and Missions does not list those areas among the so called first circle of interest (the Western Balkans).
In the context of the above the police, in parallel to taking part in international civilian missions, have developed the organisation and system of selection, training and secondment of officers to missions and of reintegration of peacekeeping officers into domestic working environment. A lot has been done since 1997.
The increasing number of officers participating in civilian missions has resulted in an increased scope of tasks required to select and prepare candidates, while at the same time dictating constant upgrading of the established training programmes. Today the police implement a basic training programme that is a synthesis of the UN, EU and OSCE training programmes and is seen as one of the best programmes in the world. In 2012, the International Police Operations Division was awarded a UN certificate for basic training of peacekeeping officers, representing a great asset for the entire police. Beside Slovenia, the only EU member states that have been awarded this certificate are Germany and Sweden, with Croatia also having been its holder. This is not to say that new developments are not taking place in this regard. On the contrary, the basic programme is supplemented by specialist training in areas of identified needs.
To date, 204 police officers have been trained in the police and 255 have been seconded abroad (159 officers were deployed in one mission, 70 in two missions, 22 participated in three missions while four officers were deployed in four different missions). Participation in civilian missions is a complex process requiring the involvement of a number of professional services of the ministry and the police both prior to the secondment of officers abroad and after they return home to their domestic working environment. The selection of staff takes place at different levels and is based on calls for applications and the criteria defined therein. The legal basis for police participation in international civilian missions lies in Article 19 of the Police Act and in the Secondment of Personnel to International Civilian Missions and International Organizations Act, while the selection, training, preparations and secondment are governed more in detail in the Rules on the Secondment of State Employees of the Ministry of the Interior and Bodies Affiliated to the Ministry to International Civilian Missions and International Organizations. Slovenian police officers are held in high esteem abroad and are seen as highly professional personnel.
Efforts for peace are urgently needed if we wish to maintain civilised values - peace should be our permanent goal and everyday reality, and we should learn our lessons of the atrocities of wars and their consequences. 15 years ago, we embarked on beginners' missions while today the Slovenian Police officers discharge demanding tasks in the framework of complex UN and EU operations.
To all police officers who have participated or are going to participate in missions: we thank for your contribution to greater regional and global security.