Commemoration of 10-year participation of the Republic of Croatia in international peace support mission

Marking the 10-year participation of the Republic of Croatia in international peace support mission

In 2009 we mark the 10th anniversary since the beginning of the Croatian active participation in international peace support operations. The Republic of Croatia sent in September 1999 ten Croatian Armed Forces (CAF) officers, who took over the duty of military observers in UN peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone – United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). For the first time in its history, the Republic of Croatia became an active factor and a member of the UN peacekeeping force. By this, the Republic of Croatia also turned from the passive side, a country that has been an object of the UN peacekeeping missions to a country provider of the UN peacekeeping personnel. So Croatia has become one of the countries that within the United Nations contributed for more than six decades to the preservation of global peace and security.
As part of its strategic foreign policy, the Republic of Croatia has decided to actively contribute to maintaining and building peace around the world, both in the United Nations peacekeeping efforts, as within NATO and European Union.

From year to year, Croatia has constantly increased its participation in international peacekeeping operations. In addition to CAF members, first members of the police and diplomatic personnel have begun to participate in peacekeeping missions. During the ten years of participation in peacekeeping missions, we have gained valuable experiences that have been used in Croatia’s preparations for accession to Euro-Atlantic integrations. Additionally, many CAF members gained the opportunity to personally promote on the various responsible positions, out of which the highest was placed as head of the peacekeeping mission in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).

Croatian soldiers, police and civilian representatives have been currently involved in 16 international peacekeeping missions, and by the number of missions in which it is engaged, Croatia is at the top of the 120 countries providers of the United Nations peacekeeping personnel.
Tenth anniversary of Croatian participation in building stability and security in the world through peacekeeping missions is a very significant anniversary for the Republic of Croatia, which by its previous participation and sending members of its armed forces, police and diplomatic personnel in the UN peacekeeping missions, has proven itself and foreign partners that the training and high professionalism of our soldiers, police and diplomatic personnel became recognized and praised worldwide.
During the past decade, Croatia has gained unique experience – from the former recipient of peacekeeping forces grew in the active participant in securing peace, became a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and NATO member. By this new role, Croatia showed its political will and readiness to contribute to global peace and stability, creating challenges  to effectively respond to current demands for preservation of peace, as well as opportunities for further development of partnerships in promoting world peace and security.

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