UNDSS / United Nations

About Us

For the first half-century of its existence, the United Nations felt protected by its flag and the reality that it was a neutral, benevolent actor in world events. When United Nations personnel were directly targeted, it was generally viewed as an isolated event.

In the early 1990s, there was a rise in the number of deaths and injuries of staff members as a result of malicious acts. Regrettably, the security environment for the United Nations changed and became more threatening. In addition, the mandates of the United Nations evolved, resulting in a larger number of United Nations staff members, notably from the humanitarian agencies, being deployed on potentially hazardous missions. At the same time, peacekeeping missions were being established in areas at war or in situations of high risk. Increasingly, humanitarian staff were deployed alongside peacekeeping military units in integrated multidisciplinary missions.

The security management system of the 1990s was designed for the operational requirements which existed in the UN’s early decades. The system was not able to fulfill its responsibilities adequately despite the best efforts and dedication of all those involved in the system. To allow the United Nations to meet new demands, the General Assembly authorized an increase in the staff of the Office of the United Nations Security Coordinator (UNSECOORD), primarily in the field.

The United Nations Security Coordinator coordinated the activities of the United Nations field security management system and was a senior official appointed by the Secretary-General. His Office was responsible for all policy and procedural matters related to security; ensuring a coherent response by the United Nations to any emergency situation; coordinating, planning and implementing inter-agency security programmes and acting as the focal point for inter-agency cooperation concerning all security matters and, on behalf of the Secretary-General, taking all decisions relating to the relocation/evacuation of staff members and their eligible dependents from very insecure areas. In 2001, the General Assembly authorized the creation of a full-time United Nations Security Coordinator at the level of Assistant Secretary-General. By 2002, the number of professional security officer posts in the field numbered 100 Professional and 200 locally recruited posts.

In addition to UNSECOORD, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) had in place its own separate security structure for civilian staff in UN peacekeeping operations. Political missions of the Department of Political Affairs that were administratively backstopped by DPKO remained under the UN field security management system.