United Nations and Overseas Policing Association of Australia

About Us

Who and What is UNOPAA?

The United Nations and Overseas Policing Association of Australia (UNOPAA) is a social organisation based in Australia. Its members are serving or former police officers of police forces throughout Australia who have or are currently serving with United Nations Peacekeeping Forces or on other overseas police missions or operations. UNOPAA organises social events and promotes the welfare and care of its members.

UNOPAA was previously the United Nations Police Association of Australia (UNPAA). The Association formally changed its name to UNOPAA at the 2012 Annual General Meeting. Download a copy of the UNOPAA Constitution (314 kB) updated as at October 2020.

A bit of history

Australia has a proud history of involvement in overseas peacekeeping and capacity building operations. This commenced in 1947, when Australians were deployed as UN military observers in Indonesia and played a key role in diffusing tensions as Indonesia won independence from the Dutch.

These early days also saw Australia involved in UN operations in Korea (the Korean War) and in the Kashmir.

Australian Police were first involved in 1964, when conflict between the Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus saw the establishment of UNFICYP (the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus). Australia sent 40 police, drawn from all Australian police jurisdictions.

This Australian police involvement in Cyprus continued until June 2017, a period of 53 years. A formal flag lowering ceremony was conducted in Nicosia on 16 June 2017, attended by the Australian Federal Police Commissioner and many Australian police veterans who served there.

Since 1964, Australia has deployed police officers to UN missions and to capacity building operations across the world.

The role of police in these situations has been to restore and promote public safety and the rule of law, generally through patrolling the affected communities; liaising with relevant authorities; advising, mentoring and training local police; reporting incidents; and assisting in the achievement of the mission’s goals.

As at 31 January 2020, there were 8,854 police (and over 80,000 military) involved in UN peacekeeping operations, mainly in Africa and the Middle East. Sadly, with the withdrawal of the last Cyprus contingent, there are no Australian Police currently deployed on UN missons at the present time.

Six Australian Police have died while serving overseas – 3 in Cyprus, 1 in East Timor and 2 in the Solomon Islands.

Where we served - Cyprus

In the interest of international peace and security, the Mission was established in March 1964 to use its best efforts to prevent the recurrence of fighting between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and, as necessary, to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions. Since the hostilities of 1974, the mandate has included supervising the cease-fire and maintaining a buffer zone between the lines of the Cyprus National Guard and of the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot forces. The Mission continues to the present date.

The medal has three equal bars, one of white in the centre and two of UN blue at either end. The bars are separated by two narrow bands of dark blue symbolizing the Mediterranean Sea. Qualifying time for the medal is three months of service in the Mission.

The following countries have provided troops to this Mission: Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, India, Ireland, the Kingdom of Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the following countries provide civilian policemen: Australia, Austria, Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden.

Where we served - Cambodia

UNTAC was established in February 1992, incorporating the existing Mission, UNAMIC. The mandate for this Mission relates to human rights, the organisation and conduct of free and fair elections, military arrangements, civil administration, the maintenance of law and order, the repatriation and resettlement of the Cambodian refugees and displaced persons, and the rehabilitation of essential Cambodian infrastructures during the transitional period. After the elections, the Mission was closed on 15 November 1993 and replaced by the United Nations Military Liaison Team (UNMLT). Consisting of 20 military observers, their task was to maintain close liaison with the Cambodian Government, to report to the Secretary-General on matters effecting security in Cambodia and to assist the Government in dealing with residual military matters related to the Paris Agreement. UNMLT was established for a single period of six months. Military Observers are eligible to receive the UNTAC medal.

The medal ribbon and bars feature green, to depict the paddy fields which cover most of the country. The white central stripe is flanked by red stripes representing all the factions' flags. These are bordered on either side by a band of UN blue and Supreme National Council blue. The countries of Algeria,Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, the People's Republic of China, Chile, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Thailand, Tunisia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Uruguay provided military observers, police or troops to this Mission.