UN
United Nations is an international organisation founded after II World War, in 1945, with the aim to contribute in preservation of global peace. The UN Headquarters is located in New York.
Membership to UN: General Assembly approved admission of Montenegro to the United Nations as the 192nd member, at a session on 28th June 2006. After its admission to the United Nations, Montenegro appointed permanent representatives to UN in New York, Vienna and Geneva.
UN is consisted of six main organs: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council[1], the Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice. Security Council is comprised of 15 members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members).
The most important areas of cooperation of the Ministry of Defence and the United Nations
- Demilitarisation of conventional ammunition and safe storage of explosive ordnances
MONDEM project was implemented according to the Memorandum on cooperation within the area of technical aspects of demilitarisation of conventional ammunition within the program for developing capacities for demilitarisation and safe storage (SALW) for Montenegro, which was signed by UNDP, OSCE and the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro on 18th May 2009, pertaining to the following areas:
- destruction of hazardous chemical substances;
- disposal of surplus ammunition;
- destruction of surplus explosive ordinances;
- reconstruction of storages of explosive ordinances.
MONDEM program was successfully completed in December 2018, in cooperation with UNDP and OSCE. UNDP provided financial support to the program through donations of partner counties and international organisations.
MONDEM program is recognised as one of the most successful projects in this area within the international community. As such, it was presented in UNDP publication of successful projects as well as in OSCE Guide on good practices of international support.
- Implementation of gender policies
Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces established a successful cooperation with UNDP SEESAC (South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons), through participation in the first Regional project for strengthening cooperation across the Western Balkan countries on integration of gender perspective within security sector reform processes. This project supported efforts of not only Montenegro but other regional countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Serbia) to increase number of female officers in the Armed Forces, to keep the existing female personnel within defence system, as well as to implement UN SCR 1325 to the best of its capacity.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Montenegro participated in a regional research which resulted in adopting the first Study on the position of women in the Armed Forces of the countries of the Western Balkans, with recommendations. Through implementation of this project, Ministry of Defence of Montenegro and the Armed Forces strengthened internal mechanisms for implementing gender equality policies.
In order to keep strengthening the internal mechanisms, the Ministry of Defence also supported the second phase of the above mentioned project, which started in 2019 and is to be completed by the end of 2021. Within the second phase of the project, several trainings for the members of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces were carried out, with particular focus on gender-based discrimination and sexual violence. In addition, the second regional Study on position of women in the Armed Forces of the countries of the Western Balkans is to be completed. Also, the Guide on preventing and reacting on gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse in the Ministries of Defence and the Armed Forces of the countries of the Western Balkans is going to be adopted in the forthcoming period.
• Participation in international missions
Armed Forces of Montenegro actively contributes to the forces of the United Nations in the Western Sahara, by deploying its officers in MINURSO mission (the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara), since 11th November 2016, as observers. Up to now, 7 officers of Montenegrin Armed Forces participated in the mission, and our Armed Forces will continue to take part in this mission in the forthcoming period as well.
Armed Forces of Montenegro participated in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) from 2006 to 2014. Our members were engaged in this mission within UN observing teams, which were carrying out patrols for monitoring situation and reporting to UN authorised bodies. During the mentioned period, 10 members of MNE Armed Forces participated in the mission.
[1]The Trusteeship Council suspended its operation on 1 November 1994, and although under the United Nations Charter it continues to exist on paper, its future role and even existence remains uncertain.