A Community-Oriented Peacekeeper in Cyprus By

Wang Xiaojing

I served in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus for 12 months from July 2018 to July 2019. Though it has been over a year since I returned to China， my memories of working with UNFICYP as a community-oriented police officer still remain fresh.

Mandate

To bring an end to the intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities， the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 186 （1964） in March 1964 and decided to set up the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus （hereafter referred to as UNFICYP）. To refrain from any action which might further aggravate the situation， the UN United Nations Security Council resolution 353 （1974） adopted in July 1974 increased the UNFICYPs responsibilities and created a UN-controlled Buffer Zone. The mandate of UNFICYP includes overseeing the ceasefire lines， stabilizing the buffer zone， carrying out humanitarian activities and assisting the UN Secretary-Generals good offices， with an aim to work toward a return to normal conditions.

The peacekeeping mission in this area is dominated by UN troops. Therefore， UNFICYP carries out military-civilian coordination in many areas. According to the official statistics of the UN， as of December 2020， it has dispatched 1028 personnel to join UNFICYP， 757 of them are UN troops， 67 UN police officers， 151civilians， 52 staff officers and 1 UN volunteer. Since UNFICYPs establishment on April 14， 1964， UN Police （UNPOL）， under the military-civilian coordination framework， has worked in collaboration with the military and civil affairs components of UNFICYP as an important part of a “three-pillar” concept.

UNPOL performs duty in the Buffer Zone to better exercise law enforcement， UNPOL set up working stations similar to community police stations in China at UNFICYP Headquarters and at a further eight locations across the Buffer Zone. UNFICYPs Chief Superintendent takes the charge of policing affairs including community-oriented policing services， assisting peacekeeping missions in restoring law and order of the buffer zone， collaborating with the military and civil affairs components in term of civilian activities and humanitarian matters， and contributing to a return to normal conditions.

To be specific， UNPOLs services include： first， maintaining law and order in the buffer zone. It supports UN troops in keeping public order and avoiding tension escalation during demonstrations and disturbances inside and adjacent to the buffer zone; issues and verifies permits for farming， building construction and other works in the buffer zone; investigates and reports illegal dumping of wastes within the zone; prevents and reports cases of illegal hunting and bird trapping in the buffer zone. Second， controlling civilian access to the buffer zone. It reports and facilitates handover of alleged illegal immigrants located within the buffer zone; monitors the crossing points between the north and the south. Third， it assists Cypriot Police and “Turkish Cypriot Police” in investigations within the zone.

Learn to Respect

As UNFICYPs military， police and civilian personnel are from different countries， its natural for them to have different ways of life， beliefs and philosophies，therefore， we should show respect to each other， to perform duty together in a sovereign state like Cyprus， we must adhere to high standards of behavior and professionalism. As integrity， professionalism and respect for diversity are core values of the UN， its staff members should exercise dedication and professionalism， and show respect to the residents of the host country at work.

When I was providing community-oriented services in the Buffer Zone， the way of communication with local people becomes very important. So I must always exercise patience and coordinate different issues in a disciplined manner. In order to communicate with them more effectively， I learned basic words of Greek and Turkish， such as Καλημρ?α （“good morning” in Greek）， Ευχαριστω （“thank you” in Greek） and Merhaba （“hello” in Turkish）. Using these simple phrases got me closer to them， won their trust and helped to continue my follow-up interaction with them.

In April 2019， when everything came back to life in vibrant spring， fresh asparagus sprouts came out of the soil on this piece of land of Cyprus. The Cypriots love nature and often go outside in such a pleasant season to collect asparagus. This succulent vegetable and Halloumi， a local specialty， also make tasty local dishes. Moreover， the process of harvesting and cooking creates immense joy and happiness for families.

Many accesses to the Buffer Zone are close to the nearby cities. When it comes to the season of asparagus， a number of natives would enter the zone accidentally to collect the vegetable， so I had to ask them to leave in a polite way. Bearing in mind that this place was not only an area of my jurisdiction but also a land belonged to the local residents， I would explain to them with a smile： this area is a Buffer Zone of the UN and a place of danger， so its better for you leave for your safety concern. Many of them were friendly to Chinese police. They would have a few words with us and leave at our suggestion. As a Chinese police officer on peacekeeping mission， I had always upheld the principle that the prestige of our motherland and the honor of Chinese police must come above anything else. When exercising enforcement on a foreign land， we must be friendly and build sound relations with the local people so as to demonstrate the best of the Chinese police abroad.

Military-Civilian Coordination

Policing services of UNFICYP are mainly fulfilled through military-civilian coordination. Under the framework of UN Peacekeeping Missions， coordinated by the UNFICYP Headquarters， UN troops and UNPOL carry out joint patrols to carry out anti-illegal hunting， and illegal immigrants operations. I worked in Sector Two， which is the responsibility of the British Contingent， so I was in close collaboration with them.

Fighting Illegal Poaching

Much of the Buffer Zone is uninhabited and quite peaceful， which provides a sound environment for the development of wildlife. But such a place also draws the attention of illegal hunters. When it comes to winter and spring， the zone is covered by exuberant woods where birds and animals dwell. During this period of time， illegal hunters may sneak into the zone with guns set net traps and release hounds to go after wild animals. In April 2019， when Milan， a Serbian policeman， and I were patrolling in the zone， we saw a pickup truck for civilian use coming toward us with dogs barking from the back of the vehicle. We were stunned for a moment and realized that it must be illegal hunters.

As there were dogs onboard， they didnt drive fast. So we could tell that they were trying to find a proper place for the canines. We drove close and signaled them to pull off. On initial check， we found a dozen large-sized hounds confined in two huge iron-wire cages in the back. So I turned to them： “Hello， sir. Please show me your IDs. Where are you going？” One of them answered： “Were taking the dogs to the vets.” Suddenly they turned on the engine and sped away. Milan and I glanced at each other， turned around the car and went after them. In the meantime， we reported the case and its location to the command center， warning that the poachers might be armed with weapons. The command center coordinated a nearby military vehicle on patrol to intercept them as they try to flee. They sped up in panic and dashed into Sector Four from Sector Two by accident， so we connected through the UNFICYP HQ via the command center and asked for Sector Four to cut them off. Finally， we stopped the poachers there and handed them over to the local police.

Rewarding Experience

The peacekeeping mission that I fulfilled with the UNFICYP has enriched my working experience. Such an operation on an exotic land has also renewed my vision and way of thinking. During my stay there， I kept my mission firmly in mind， demonstrated friendliness， professionalism and dedication， and left a good impression to my counterparts from other countries. Back in China， Ive shared this experience with my students and trainees in return before they carry out peacekeeping missions and it has been proved practical and workable. In the future， Im ready to serve the international police cooperation to the best of my ability.

（Translated by Agnes）