Transcript The Polish Association of the Veterans of the UN

The Polish Association of the Veterans
of the UN Peacekeeping Operations
Prepared for the second Northern European
Conference on Veteran Support – BNMO Centre,
Doorn, The Netherlands
9-12 May 2002
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland - country in Central Europe, bordered on
the north by the Baltic Sea and Russia; on the east by Lithuania, Belarus, and
Ukraine; on the south by the Czech Republic and Slovakia; and on the west by
Germany. Its capital and largest city is Warsaw.
"...Peacekeeping is not a job for soldiers, but only soldiers can do it..."
Dag Hammerskjöld
It has been 29 years since the first Polish troops participated in
a peacekeeping operation, deployed to UNEF II in the Sinai Peninsula.
Since that time, Poland has become one of the major contributors to
peacekeeping operations. Poland is currently one of the largest troop
contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations.
When the armistice agreement was signed on 27 July 1953 at
Panmunjom, Polish military officers joined two international
commissions established to supervise compliance with the conditions of
the cease-fire agreement. More than 1000 Polish officers and NCOs have
served in those commisions. To date,more than 46000 Polish military
personel have participated in 52 peacekeeping and humanitarian missions
established and organized by United Nations.
Initially, Polish Military Contingents
specialized mainly in the area of
logistics. The first was UNEF II
( United Nations Emergency Force) on
the Sinai Peninsula (phot. left), from
November 1973 to January 1980, with
a strength ranging from 822 to 1026
troops. The contingent provided a wide
range of logistic support to UNEF. The
Polish Field Hospital & Clinics were
responsible for medical services. The
logistic unit purified water and
transported drinking water and food to
all contingents, and the engineering
sub-unit was responsible for mine
clearing.
UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement
Observer Force), deployed on the Golan
Heights, was the second UN mission to
which Poland provided a logistic unit (from
June 1974 to December 1993). The Polish
Logistic Contingent (POLLOG), with a
strangth of 154 troops, was mainly
responsible for the transportation of water,
food and other items. POLLOG also
included a sanitary and epidemiological
laboratory and engineering platoon which
carried out mine clearing tasks.Since
December 1993, Poland took over the
operational tasks from the Finnish
contingent and handed over the logistic
tasks to the Canadian contingent.
UNTAG (United Nations Transition Assistance Group) in Namibia,
where Poland deployed a logistic unit with a strength of 393 troops
(from March 1989 to May 1990). The unit handled central depots and
provided full logistic support in the northern part of the mission area.
As in UNDOF, Poland shared the logistic duties with Canada.
UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia) where
Poland deployed a battalion size contingent, comprised of logistic and
engineering units, with a total strength of 709 troops (from May 1992 to
November 1993). Its logistic tasks included transportation of water, food
and fuel to operational units and handling of central depots. Polish
engineers also repaired roads and bridges.
A new phase of Poland's involvement in international peacekeeping operations was
initiated with its contribution to UNPROFOR (United Nations Protection Force) from
April 1992 to May 1995. Poland was requested for the first time to provide an
operational battalion to a United Nations peacekeeping operation. Initially, the battalion,
with a strength of 900 troops, was deployed in Krajina. Its main tasks included:
monitoring and patrolling of UN protected areas, protection of important
installations, escorting humanitarian convoys, etc. When the UN operation was replaced
by the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR), the Polish battalion was incorporated
into the Nordic Brigade.
UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon).
The UN mission in South Lebanon is comprised of a logistic battalion, an
engineering unit, a maintenance unit, and a field hospital, with a total
strngth of 627 soldiers and at present is the biggest UN mission. The Polish
contingent provides most of the military logistic support to UNIFIL's total
force of over 4500 troops. The contingent's tasks include: transport of
personnel and material; storage and distribution of supplies; maintenance of
the force vehicle fleet and technical equipment; mine clearing; fortification
and construction engineering works; medical support to the force, and
humanitarian assistance to the local population;
Polish soldiers in UN Peacekeeping Operations:
No
Mission
Country
Period of time
Number of participants
1
NNSC
Korea
1953
1065
2
ICSC
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
1954-1975
1298
3
OTN
Nigeria
1968-1970
5
4
ICCS
Vietnam
1973-1976
650
5
UNEF II
Egypt
1973-1979
11699
6
UNDOF
Israel, Syria
1974-
9269
7
UNIIMOG
Iraq, Iran
1988-1990
45
8
UNTAG
Namibia
1989-1990
373
9
OSGAP
Afghanistan, Pakistan
1990-1991
2
10
"Pustynna Burza"
Saudi Arabia
1990-1991
393
11
UNAMIC
Cambodia
1991-1992
2
12
UNGOMAP
Afghanistan, Pakistan
1991-1993
1
13
OBWE
form. Yugoslavia
1991-1994
4
14
UNIKOM
Iraq, Kuwait
1991-
61
15
UNGCI
Iraq
1991-
69
16
MINURSO
Western Sahara
1991-
34
17
UNSCOM
Iraq
1992-
8
18
UNIFIL
Lebanon
1992-
8164
19
UNPROFOR
form. Yugoslavia
1992-1995
3867
20
UNTAC/UNML
Cambodia
1992-1994
1254
21
OBWE
Georgia
1992-
10
22
OBWE
Upper Karabach
1992-1993
1
23
UNOMIL
Liberia
1993-1994
3
24
UNAMIR
Rwanda
1993-1995
5
25
UNOMIG
Georgia
1994-
30
Polish soldiers in UN Peacekeeping Operations:
26
UE
form. Yugoslavia
1994-
2
27
MNF
Haiti
1994-1995
56
28
UNCRO
Croatia
1995
1064
29
UNAVEM II/III
Angola
1995-1997
14
30
UNMOT
Tajikistan
1995-2000
30
31
IFOR
Bosnia & Herzegovina
1996
931
32
UNTAES
Eastern Slavonia
1996-1997
10
33
UNPREDEP
Macedonia
1996-1999
10
34
UNMOP
Croatia
1996-
6
35
OBWE
Bosnia & Croatia
1996-1998
141
36
OBWE
Latvia
1996-1999
3
37
OBWE
Croatia
1996-2000
5
38
MONUA
Angola
1997-1998
8
39
SFOR
Bosnia and Herzegovina
1997-
3558
40
OBWE
Macedonia
1997-1998
2
41
OBWE
Bosnia & Herzegovina
1998-1999
2
42
KVM
Kosovo
1998-2000
4
43
AFOR
Albania
1999
140
44
UNIMIK
Kosovo
1999
3
45
UNMIBH
Bosnia & Herzegovina
1999-
3
46
KFOR
Kosowo
1999-
1880
47
MONUC
Congo
1999-
6
48
OBWE
Kosovo
2000
19
49
OS KFOR
Kosovo
2000
531
50
UNMEE
Eritrea, Ethiopia
2000-
18
51
MIF
The Gulf
2000-2001
6
52
"Amber Fox"
Macedonia
2001-
25
TOTAL:
46779
Establishment
A.D. 1998
Initial actions in purpose to organize the Association; vocation
of the seven-person Initial Group (gen. dyw. Roman Misztal).
A.D. 1999
23.03.99.
Convention of the Foundation Group - 55 participants of
different UN missions. Vocation of the 11 persons as
Organizing Committee.
31.05.99.
Official Registration by District Court in Warsaw.
10.09.99.
The First General Congress of the Association.
Election of the first Board.
The first President became gen. bryg.Tadeusz Cepak.
The Board: President, two deputies, secretary,
paymaster and 10 members of the Board (15).
Board of Control: chairman, deputy, secretary (3).
phone: (0-22) 6 826 570
duty: Thursdays 10:00 – 14:00
http://skmponz.w.interia.pl
[email protected]
Address:
SKMP ONZ
ul. Stefana Banacha 2
02-097 Warszawa
Poland
The Polish Association of the Veterans
of the UN Peacekeeping Operations
The Board
President
2 Deputies
Secretary
Paymaster
Elected for 4 years
10 members
The Polish Association of the Veterans
of the UN Peacekeeping Operations
CONGRESS
every 4 years
The Board
Circle no 1
Circle no 2
Circle no 3
Circle no 4
Circle no 5
Circle no 6
Circle no 7
Circle no 8
Clubs
Circle no ...
etc.
At the moment 38 Circles in the country
Activities & Goals of the Association
1.
Actions in favour of integration of the veterans of the UN Peacekeeping
Operations and boosting their social activities.
2. Explaining to the community meaning and magnitudes of the UN and other
international organizations in ensuring the peace and safety, military
peacekeeping missions in the whole world and construction a self-trust and peace.
3. Popularising and sharing (both home and abroad) Polish achievements and
experiences in organized by international community peacekeeping missions in
different parts of the world.
4. Representing and protection all veterans and Association member's deals in
relation with state and local administration.
5. Actions in favour of improving a social conditions (life-level) of our members and
their families.
6. Cooperation with Ministry of Defence, Foreign Affairs, etc. and another
Government Agendas and Offices in all areas we're interested in.
7. Cooperation with similar international organizations all over the world.
8. Confirming companionate links and mutual respect in our environment, also with
military units and civilian and military institutions.
The Polish Association of the Veterans of the UN Peacekeeping
Operations was registered by District Court in Warsaw in 31 May
1999.
Polish Soldiers have been participated in many UN Peacekeeping
Operations since 1953. The year 2003 will be very special due to
celebration of 50 years of Polish presence in this Missions. It's great
honour to take part in such honourable missions which goal is
peacekeeping and safety for many nations all over the world. In whole
Poland live the veterans of the UN Peacekeeping Operations who want
to cultivate traditions connected with the service for peace. They want
to popularise this ideas in Polish community. They need integration to
strengthen the links and friendship among them as this friendship
started very often in very difficult and sometimes dangerous
circumstances. That's why the Association was established - it was
such necessity in our community to create the organization for the
previous participants (veterans) of UN Peacekeeping Operations.
The Statute is our basic document which comprises the rules of our
activity. It has eight chapters:
1. Basic provisions.
2. The goals and ways of its realization.
3. The members - their laws and obligations.
4. Acting rules.
5. Authorities of the Association (Congress, Board, Board of Control).
6. Circles and Clubs.
7. Estate and finances of The Association.
8. Ending remarks.
The full version is published in Polish.
If you have any particular questions contact me by e-mail.
I promise to answer.
Meetings – four times a year
(according to schedule)
Excursions
(week-ends in the mountains)
Parties
(formal)
Picnics
(informal)
SOCIAL WELFARE
(special account)
Our Christmas Eve – 19.12.2001.
Weekend in the Mountains
June 2001
We allocate the part of our monthly contribution for special
welfare purpose. It’s for peacekeepers’ help in case of emergency.
We hope to be able to help those who will need it.
Participation
Declaration
Registration fee + monthly contribution
ID
We issue our bulletin "The Blue Berets". It appears every three months,
available only free for our members and distributed during our meetings
for members only. We have ambition to create bigger magazine in future.
What's possible to find here? News and events. Poems and songs written
somewhere far from home.
1. We have agreement with Ministry of Defence. In 6 July 2000 our Association and
Polish Ministry of Defence signed agreement concerning rules of the cooperation. It's
the next step to increase our presence in public life.
2. In our Association we have three Committees: Law, Media & Promotion, Social
Committees.
3. The Competition - "Reminiscences from UN Peacekeeping mission". Everybody can
write and send to us. The results which one is the most interesting - end of October
2002. We plan to issue a book with the best works.
4. In 2003 in Warsaw will be organized The Central Commemorations of the
Participation of Poland in Peacekeeping Operations. Next year we have following
anniversaries: 50 years of peacekeeping operations (1953-2003) with Polish
participation, 30 years of Polish Contingents in UN Peacekeeping Operations, 15
years of Peace Nobel Prize for UN contribution in peace.
Thank You very much for Your attention