Page 54 - Coespu 2020-2

IN DEPTH

be done from different locations, breaches of sensitive information. cal governments response. Howe-
using different technologies ”. Rotations Freeze ver, the UN Department of Peace
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The extraordinary measures In the early days of the Coro- Operations has agreed with go-
enacted across all 13 UN Peaceke- navirus Outbreak, governmen- vernments of troop contributing
eping Missions include a manda- ts of some countries hosting pe- countries upon a 28-day quaran-
tory 14-day quarantine period for ace missions have requested the tine period – 14 days before de-
all incoming personnel (civilian, UN Department of Peace Opera- parting the home country and 14-
military and police), suspension
of UN passenger fl ights, regular
disinfection of facilities, installing
of hand-washing devices, closu-
re of places of mass gatherings
(gym, canteen etc.) and dining
facilities only used as takeaways.
Further, in order to reduce person-
nel’s exposure to the risk of conta-
gion, civilian staff members – both
in Missions and Headquarters -
have been required to work remo-
tely, unless their physical presence
in UN premises was required to
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carry out essential work . Staff with
medical conditions was given the
option to leave the mission area.
However, once borders have clo-
sed, all home leave and rest and
recuperation time has been can-
celled and personnel were for-
ced to remain in the duty station. tions (DPO) not to rotate new tro- days upon arrival in the mission
Concretely, this has meant that ops from high-risk nations such area – specifi c to all military, police
functions are discharged general- as China, Italy, Spain and Korea. units and uniformed individuals.
ly from home, either in the duty To reduce risks of contagion, the According to a Senior UN Offi cial -
station or - as MINUSMA staff Secretary-General directed the who spoke in conditions of anony-
– also outside of mission area suspension of all rotations, repa- mity - while this measure might
(non-location-based). For exam- triations and deployments of uni- ensure the COVID-free status of in-
ple, in the African Union Mission formed personnel until 30 June. coming personnel, the extension of
in Somalia (AMISOM) non-critical This suspension – enacted in April deployments is likely to leave Blue
staff has been moved out of Mo- 2020 - applies to formed units, in- Helmets shorthanded and, affect
gadishu and essential staff work dividual uniformed personnel, na- the mental health and well - being
mainly from their accommoda- tional support elements and any of troops on the ground. Further,
tions. However, for many – and other national uniformed person- according to the same UN sour-
particularly national staff – remote nel. The only exception to this di- ce - most missions lack adequate
working solutions imply electrici- rective was granted to the mission quarantine facilities to accommo-
ty cuts and having to rely on poor in Mali, driven by the need to execu- date large numbers of people at
Internet connection. In addition, as te critical operational capabilities. once and missions would have to
most of the work is done electro- Transitional measures to enable carry the fi nancial burden of crea-
nically, some investments have the partial resumption of rota- ting them while also paying for tro-
been made to provide secure ac- tion are yet to be issued and mis- ops without benefi tting from their
cess solutions and strengthen au- sions will adapt them based on the services during the quarantine pe-
thentication protocols to prevent trajectory of the pandemic and lo- riod. Lastly, the rotation of 50,000

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