Message from the United Nations Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar
International Day of Police Cooperation, 7 September
On this International Day of Police Cooperation, as the United Nations Police Adviser, I congratulate the almost 10,000 police officers authorized to serve with the United Nations in 14 United Nations peace operations around the world. And as a police lieutenant general from Pakistan, I commend especially police officers everywhere who serve their communities with dedication and distinction.
For more than six decades, United Nations policing has offered hope to communities in need, thanks to the selfless contributions of our police personnel and our Member States. In that time, the threats have continued to grow in scale and complexity, including increased vulnerabilities from non-state armed groups, asymmetric attacks, transnational organized crime, social inequality, new technologies, climate insecurity, and misinformation and disinformation.
But as first responders, all police are accustomed to being on the frontlines when disaster or crisis strikes. We understand the risks when we take our oaths of service. Therefore, the United Nations Police takes the opportunity of this special day to shine the light on the work of our own blue berets deployed far from home as well as the efforts of our fellow police officers who stand directly in harm’s way, day in and day out, to make a difference in the lives of the people in their own communities.
Under the theme for this year’s commemoration of women in policing, we highlight particularly the contributions of women police officers who help ensure that the needs of the entire community are considered. The United Nations Police reiterate our commitment to continue expanding our ranks with more women officers in all roles and at all levels through enhanced outreach, recruitment, training, technical upskilling, and career development.