Policing, peacekeeping and development : United Nations peacekeeping in Haiti

Abstract

The objective of this research is to examine the contribution to development of the United Nations Police (UNPOL) activities within the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mandates when confronted by situations of complex emergencies. The UNPOL mandate is to train police officers and police forces to promote peace, security and development. The thesis examines the role of UNPOL within United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) several months after the 2010 earthquake. It argues that the situation of complex emergency created by the earthquake added additional complexities to existing problems within UN peacekeeping including the inability to implement suggested recommendations from previous missions and a lack of proper training of UNPOL personnel. Another problem is the confusion in the UNPOL mandate between security and development so that in a case of complex emergency, the development mandate was abandoned, focusing instead on security concerns. As a result UNPOL’s development mandate was sidelined as trainers and UNPOL personnel became directly engaged in maintaining security. The thesis presents a case study of UNPOL activities as part of MINUSTAH in Haiti from June 22, 2010 until March 22, 2011 and findings are based on an analysis of my own experience as a UNPOL trainer, undertaken within the framework of peace and development. The thesis is situated against the backdrop of Haitian history and that of the Haitian National Police (HNP), including the different UN peace missions in Haiti.