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 Overview
Canada is an acknowledged international leader in policing for peace support operations and is highly respected for its contribution to peacekeeping initiatives. Over the years, Canadian citizens and police
have formed partnerships to combat crimes. This community-based policing philosophy promotes shared responsibility for problems and solutions between the police and members of the community. Under this model, police work in partnership with the community to help them solve problems rather than solving problems for them, promoting a safer environment for everyone. These are the policing practices that have helped Canadian police gain recognition on the world stage.
Traditionally, peacekeeping missions have been unidimensional, involving a strong military commitment with police in a supporting/monitoring role. However, recent operations have become increasingly complex. They are multidisciplinary and have been attracting greater media attention. In these missions, police have played a prominent role in establishing the rule of the law. This trend is likely to continue.
Since 1989, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has managed the deployment and participation of Canadian police officers in international peacekeeping and peace support operations. To date, more than 25 missions have been successfully completed, with over 1,500 police officers having been deployed worldwide. From April 2001 to March 2003, more than 200 Canadian police officers have served in Kosovo, Bosnia, Timor-Leste, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Requests for police personnel come from multilateral organizations, such as the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU). Decisions to deploy Canadian police personnel are made by senior officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC) [formerly the Solicitor General of Canada (Solgen)] under the Canadian Police
Arrangement (CPA). The RCMP’s International Peacekeeping Branch manages the deployment of Canadian police officers for peacekeeping operations. This entails recruiting and selecting candidates and providing pre-deployment training. The RCMP also provides medical and psychological support to its members, as well as logistical support to peacekeeping missions by overseeing operations and liaising with government and police partners.
To obtain an electronic copy of the complete Biennial Review (PDF), please send a request by e-mail to International Policing of the RCMP:
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