The UN plays a pivotal role among the international actors that are engaged in crisis management. Finland will support the UN also in future by taking part in operations led by the organisation. However, Finland's input, like that of the other EU Member States, is on the decline because other organisations have become more active in the field of crisis management.
At the beginning of 2009, the total strength of Finland's contribution to military crisis management operations conducted by the UN, the EU, NATO and the AU was about 700 peacekeepers. According to the Government Report on Finnish Security and Defence Policy, Finland strengthens its participation in international crisis management and is expected not only to be involved in the increasingly demanding operational environments but also to deploy more specialised units and niche capabilities to crisis management tasks.
Finland has contributed to the operation since 1967. At the beginning of 2009, the number of Finnish personnel in the operation was 16.
Finns have participated in the operation since and, at the beginning of 2009, there were five Finns in the mission personnel.
Finland has participated in monitoring of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in January 2005. At the beginning of 2009, one Finn was involved in the operation.
The operation was launched at the beginning of 2008. In the early 2009, Finland deployed six police officers but no military crisis management personnel to the mission.
The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo was established in 1999. At the end of 2008, UNMIK transferred its remaining tasks to the European Union Justice Component EULEX Kosovo. Its tasks include assisting the Kosovo government authorities. Finland had one civilian expert in the UNMIK operation at the beginning of 2009.
The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) is a peacekeeping operation in Liberia, which was launched in September 2003. At the beginning of 2009, two Finnish experts were participating in the operation.
The UN Security Council decided in January 2009 that the United Nations Mission in Central African Republic and Chad MINURCAT (*) will be reinforced as from 15 March 2009 by a military component (UN Resolution 1861).
Finland deployed some 60 military personnel to the EU Operation EUFOR Tchad/RCA, which ended in March 2009. The Finnish detachment in EUFOR was transferred to serve under the administration of the UN and its strength is now about 80 military personnel.
*) Chad = Tchad (French spelling used in the EU)
Content administrator Unit for Security Policy and Crisis Management
Updated 5/22/2009