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arrangements and structures with the police. Should UN-CMCoord guidance, documents and
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tools also include the police?
The first step is to find out what the operational links are between humanitarian actors and the
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police, in various contexts. On this basis, it is possible to determine the appropriate
coordination model and
establish guidance and
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norms.
None of us can do the
work alone. An
investment to strengthen
coordination and foster
dialogue is necessary
and valuable. Learning
together will help us
benefit from a smoother
coordination in the
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field. Partnerships will
help us leverage
comparative advantages and complementarities, each within our mandate, so that together,
we are greater than the sum of our parts.

Written by:
Marie-Sophie Reck
Lead, Strategic Outreach Readiness & Training Section
Coordination Division
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

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UN-CMCoord Guidelines on the Use of Foreign Military and Civil Defence Assets in Disaster Relief ‘Oslo
Guidelines’, Rev 1.1 (Nov. 2017), Guidelines on the Use of Military and Civil Defence Assets to Support United
Nations Humanitarian Activities in Complex Emergencies ‘MCDA Guidelines’ Rev.1 (January 2006), Civil-
Military Relationship in Complex Emergencies ‘IASC Reference Paper’ (June 2004), IASC Non-Binding
Guidelines on the Use of Armed Escorts for Humanitarian Convoys (February 2013), Country-Specific
Guidelines
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In eastern Chad for instance, the link between the police and humanitarian organizations was very concrete, as
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) piloted the concept of having national police,
under a UN mandate, patrol refugee camps along the Sudanese border.
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While in some contexts, such as the Haiti Earthquake, it was possible for humanitarians to even be physically
collocated with MINUSTAH, this is not possible with MONUSCO, MINUSCA, MINUSMA or UNMISS in the
current context.
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Training Materials and Resources: UN-CMCoord Training Course and foundational learning, schedule:
www.dialoguing.org, UN-CMCoord ecourse: https://www.usipglobalcampus.org/training-overview/uncmcoord/

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