Nederlandse-militairen-bij-een-vn-observatiepost-op-de-golan-hoogte

A United Nations Military Observer (UNMO) is a

military official An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

deployed by the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

to provide support to a UN mission or peace operation. Described as the "eyes and ears" of the

UN Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

, observers fulfill a variety of roles depending on scope, purpose, and status of the UN mission to which they are attached. A UNMO is generally tasked with monitoring and assessing post-conflict agreements, such as a ceasefire or armistice; the withdrawal of military forces; or the maintenance of a neutral buffer zone. Observers usually undergo special training to ensure neutrality, diplomacy, and deescalation techniques.

Duties and responsibilities

* Monitor the various agreements on cease-fires, withdrawals and

demilitarization Demilitarisation or demilitarization may mean the reduction of state armed forces; it is the opposite of militarisation in many respects. For instance, the demilitarisation of Northern Ireland entailed the reduction of British security and military ...

. * Ground, sea and aerial patrolling of both sides of the conflict, including the areas along the confrontation lines. * Patrol demilitarized zone. * Help resolve local difficulties (social, economic, etc.) by liaison with all sides of the conflict. * Investigate allegations of aggression or ceasefire violations.

Mission in Kashmir

An early and still-operating observer mission is the

United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan The United Nations has played an advisory role in maintaining peace and order in the Kashmir region soon after the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, when a dispute erupted between the two States on the question of Jammu and Kashmir. Indi ...

(UNMOGIP), established on the India-Pakistan border in 1949 to monitor the ceasefire called for by the United Nations Security Council. * Location and Headquarters: ceasefire line in Jammu and Kashmir states with major posts in Rawalpindi, Pakistan / Srinagar, India * Primary observing officer: Croatian Major-General Dragutin Repinc appointed by Kofi Annan * Participating observers: 113 military and civilian personnel, from 8 countries * Casualties: 11 * Time frame: 1949–present

Similar mission in Timor-Leste

* Location and Headquarters: Republica Democratica Timor-Leste with major post in Dili, formerly East Timor * Primary observing officer: Atul Khare appointed by Kofi Annan * Participating observers: 34 with 1,600 supporting UN Police * Casualties: * Time frame: 2006–present, previous missions UNAMET 1999, UNTAET 1999–2002, UNMISET 2002–2005, and UNOTIL 2005–2006

References

External links

United Nations Military Observers in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)
United Nations Security Council subsidiary organs {{UN-stub