Ukraine’s participation in the peacekeeping activities

Ukraine has launched its involvement in peacekeeping operations with adoption by Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine the resolution № 2538-ХII on 3 July 1992 “On participation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in UN Peacekeeping Forces in conflict zones on the territory of Former Republic of Yugoslavia”.  Since 1992 more than 37 000 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine took part in various peacekeeping operations.

The Ukrainian soldiers had taken part in the following Peacekeeping operations:

• - Peacekeeping operations of UN Protection Forces (UNPROFOR, Jul 1992 – Dec 1995);
• - UN mission in Tajikistan (UNMIT, Dec 1994 - Mar 2000);
• - UN Mission of preventive deployment in Macedonia (UNPREDEP, Jun 1995 – Mar 1999);
• - International Stabilization Forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR in B&H, Dec 1995 – Dec 1999);
• - UN Mission in Angola (UNMIA, Jan 1996 – Feb 1999);
• - UN mission in Prevlaka peninsula, Croatia (UNMIP, Jan 1996 – Dec 2002);
• - UN Mission in Eastern Slavonia (UNMIES, Apr 1996 – Jan 1998);
• - UN Mission in Guatemala (UNMIG, Jan -May 1997);
• - OSCE verification mission in Kosovo (Dec 1998 – Mar 1999);
• - Special UN Mission in Afghanistan (Apr 2000 – May 2001);
• - United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL, Jul 2000 – Aug 2006);
• - OSCE Mission in Georgia (Aug 2000 – Dec 2005);
• - United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL, Dec 2000 – Dec 2005);
• - Multinational Forces in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom, Aug 2003 – Dec 2005);

Besides, through those years Ukraine provided its air lift services for conducting the UN humanitarian operations in Africa.

From that time 49 Ukrainian peacekeepers lost their lives in missions.

For now 476 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine participate in 11 ongoing peacekeeping missions and other operations.

- Joint Peacekeeping Force in Transdniestria region of Republic of Moldova, 10 Milobs;

- National Peacekeeping Contingent in Kosovo (KFOR), 134 servicemen;

- UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), 2 officers;

- UN Stabilization Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), 13 Milobs;

- UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Ukrainian Aviation Unit 275 servicemen, 2 SOs and 2 Milobs;

- UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), Aviation detachment 40 servicemen from the UNMIL Ukrainian Aviation Unit;

- NATO Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I), 6 officers;

- UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), 10 Milobs;

- International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF), 22 servicemen.

- EU NAVFOR operation ATALANTA, 1 SO.

- NATO Operation Active Endeavour, 1 Ukrainian Navy Corvette/Frigate (annually).

It was due to Ukraine’s initiative that the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which entered into force on 15 January 1999, was elaborated and adopted in 1994. In September 2006 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel.

In 1994, Ukraine declared its first military and civilian resources to the UN Standby arrangements. In 1997, Ukraine became the ninth MemberState, out of more than seventy troop-contributing states, who signed with the United Nations the Memorandum of Understanding concerning its contributions to the UN Stand-by Arrangements. Since then the contribution of Ukraine to that system was doubled and several times diversified.

In 1997, Ukraine and Poland signed an Agreement on the formation of a joint peacekeeping battalion of 800 men strong, which became fully operational in 1999. Since July 2000 the Ukrainian-Polish peacekeeping battalion and since December 2002 Belgium-Luxemburg-Romanian-Ukrainian battalion has been serving with the UN Security Council-mandated operation of the international force in Kosovo (KFOR).

Based on Ukraine’s initiative and initial drafts, the 53rd and 63rd sessions of the UN General Assembly adopted the Declarations on the Occasion of the Fiftieth and Sixties Anniversaries of the United Nations Peacekeeping at its commemorative meetings held on 6 October 1998 and 7 November 2008 respectively.

During the 57th session of the General Assembly all UN Member States supported the initiative of Ukraine to designate 29th of May as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, to be observed annually to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in United Nations peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

Ukraine’s active participation in the UN PKOs gave a strong impetus to substantial strengthening of the national legislative base in this field. As a result of the two year work to that end, in April 1999 the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine adopted the law “On Participation of Ukraine in the International Peacekeeping Operations”, which comprehensively reflected trends in the development of international peacekeeping activities and provided the most diversified opportunities for Ukraine’s participation in them. In June 2009 the President of Ukraine has signed “A Strategy of the International Peacekeeping Activity of Ukraine”.

Ukraine remains committed to strengthening the leading role of the United Nations in maintenance of peace and security and enhancing its peacekeeping potential.

, Oleh Kozhushko