The role of civilian police in peace operations has expanded greatly since the early 1990s and has culminated in international policemen assuming responsibilty for law and order in Kosovo and East Timor. Civilian police still struggle with shortfalls in quality and quantity, with inadequate planning and deployment delays. More importantly, their operational effectiveness remains dependent on political support from their domestic authorities, the UN and local political leadership in the conflict area. Despite these challenges, as this paper maps out, civilian police play a critical role in reforming local police forces and at times enforcing the law themselves.

This Adelphi Paper is the outcome of a joint project between the IISS and the Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) in Geneva.