Peace operations in the Balkans and East Timor have focused attention on the crucial role of civilian police in crisis management and post-conflict peace building and highlighted the gaps in international capacities for policing. This has prompted debate on how international police support can best be organized and whether the United Nations, the traditional provider of international civilian police, is best suited to administer police operations. The European Union has identified policing as a priority in the development of a crisis-management capacity while the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has embarked on a parallel effort to enhance its engagement in policing. This Research Report examines the legal and political issues surrounding international policing by regional bodies as well as the efforts undertaken by regional organizations to develop policing capacity. It explores the consequences of this new development for relations between the UN and regional organizations in peace operations.
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