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Peacekeeping Operations: Human Rights

Volume 506: debated on Monday 1 March 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which UN peacekeeping missions (a) do and (b) do not have a mandate to monitor human rights. (318503)

The following UN Peacekeeping missions are specifically mandated to monitor human rights:

The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID)

The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)

The United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)

The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT)

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)

The United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI)

The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT)

The following UN Peacekeeping missions are not specifically mandated to monitor human rights:

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)

The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)

The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)

The United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)

In Resolution 1244 the UN Security Council mandated the protection and promotion of human rights in Kosovo. While much of this work has now passed from the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to local and other international institutions, the UN Secretary General continues to routinely report on human rights.

Additionally all UN missions provide regular in-country reporting which may include monitoring of human rights. Significant progress has been made in integrating the UN's human rights work: for example all resident co-ordinators of UN country teams must now receive human rights training.