28 May 2011 - Ann-Kristin Kvilekval heads the Police Advisory Unit at UNAMA. The Norwegian national worked with the UN missions in Lebanon and Timor Leste before coming to Kabul. On the occasion of the International Day of Peacekeepers, Kvilekval discusses her work and the impact she has as the only woman professional police officer with UNAMA.

"I am convinced that the fact that I am a woman brings influences to the police both female and male here in Afghanistan. It is good to be a role model and to show the Afghan female officers that they are not alone."

1. How long have you worked as a United Nations Police Officer?
All together this is my third UN mission. I started in UNIFIL – Lebanon, then UNTAET – Timor Leste and now UNAMA – Afghanistan. I have also between the mission worked for UN as an instructor both home in Norway and around the world through the Norwegian project “Training for Peace”.

2. What were you duties in your national service?
Home in Norway I work as a permanent course director and instructor at the Norwegian Police University College, in the department for advanced police training and I am going back to that position as soon as my mission end. I also have since 2003 taken part and been in charge of all pre-deployment training for Police officers from Norway going to a mission.

3. What specialized knowledge have you brought with you to your present posting?
The knowledge of UN as an organization has been good to have in my backpack, as well as the knowledge from former missions to work in a multi cultural environment. I have been in Afghanistan two times before for the Norwegian bilateral Police Project and I found it very helpful to have the knowledge of Kabul and meet Afghan colleagues again as a big advantage.

To have the knowledge of working with interpreters are important. I also must say that all my studies in relation to international Law, Humanitarian law and Human Rights have been good background to have.

4. As the Officer-in-Charge Senior Police Advisor in UNAMA what have been your responsibilities?
To provide strategic advice to the SRSG on all police-related issues is one important task fro the unit. So a lot of my time have been to participate in many meetings to gather information and inform the mission about my advise, assessment and guidance to SRSG and DSRSG.

I am a permanent member of the International Police Coordination Board (IPCB) which has been weekly meetings during the year as well as be the chair of the Senior Police Advisory Group. I have also participated in different working groups and conferences related to police issues in relationship with international and national actors.

At some point during my term here, we had Police Advisors in the UNAMA region offices, so I have also had responsibilities to advice and assist them in all possible way.

5. What added value can the UN Police offer to the Afghan Government and to the National Police Service?
This is a very different police mission than other peacekeeping mission, in other missions the police component are often large in numbers but here the total officers should be 10. In this mission the UN mandate for us police is to be advisors and assist SRSG in all police related matters. Also to advise and assist the Afghan Ministry of Interior and ANP is one of our tasks.

In Afghanistan, the number of organization and international community whom deliver advises, training and mentoring to MOI and ANP are huge. So the thing we in PAU (Police Advisor Unit)/UNAMA manage on the ground have during my term being to focus on the strategy and police department in MOI and to assist them in relation to different upcoming tasks during this year.

I think it is important to have a Police Advisor Unit here in UNAMA to try to see the reform and development from outside the big NATO Training Mission and EUPOL side.

6. What are some of the challenges that the police in Afghanistan face, and how is the United Nations (DPLO, UNDP, UNOPs, UNODC, etc) attempting to assist?
The Afghan Police have a lot of and some huge and difficult task every day. I can not imagine how it must feel to go on duty in maybe one of the world most dangerous job and you have never had one minute training or advise from your superior. I must say I highly admire this men and women who do this everyday. 

Security, drug related crime, terrorism, international crime and cross border crime is a huge challenge for the ANP. And on top of this is of course the everyday crime we all face as police officers. 

UN can do and are doing a lot to assist these challenges together with other international actors. This is a huge operation and the number of ANP who are trained in this country everyday is impressing. So in my point of view the different UN teams should just continue as they do and have good relationship with all the actors so we can walk the same direction towards an Afghan Police Service who know their law and can finally protect those vulnerable groups in this nation which have suffered to long.

7. What is the most important contribution that you believe you (UNPOL) have made or are in the process of making?
The Police Advisory Unit has been rather under employed during my year here in Kabul. But we have been part of International Police Coordination Board with weekly working level meetings and caucus and board meetings.

For the past four months I have chaired the Senior Police Advisory Group which is a group of all heads of police contributing nations or organizations in Afghanistan. This group advises IPCB in police related matters and it is a forum where police officers meet to discuss and inform each other of the different projects progress or challenge in the mission area.

From August until the end of October I was part of the Institutional Reform Working Group, set by the Minister of Interior. We where a close group who met every week and we developed a proposal to the minister in relation to a reform process in his ministry. This is a long term process which the minster has partly agreed upon, and different working groups has started to develop further actions according to our proposal of lines of effort.

8. What number of police in Afghani service are female?
It is approx 1.000 female officers in Afghan National Police (ANP) But unfortunately not all of them conduct what we call police duty, some are there as cleaners and making tea, but at least they got a job with an income for their needed families. But a lot of projects are going on so female officers are doing a great job in relations to family matters for example.

9. Do you feel that your being a female police chief positively influences the police with whom you interact? Women and men with whom you come into contact in civil society or through professional functions?
I am convinced that the fact that I am a woman brings influences to the police both female and male here in Afghanistan. It is good to be a role model and to show the Afghan female officers that they are not alone. On the other hand its very good and important to show the Afghan police men that woman CAN do it. I have never had any problems here in Afghanistan by being a female police officer in my uniform and not covering my hair.

I rather see it as an advantage to be a woman here, because I can speak with 100 per cent of the community, both men and women, but that cannot my male colleagues do, they will not even meet our driver wife.

I can be with women and talk to them without them cover up and we can speak openly. Also I have learned that the male part also are very eager to talk to me as a woman, I am not part of their society so I am not a “danger” to them and will not tell other persons about our conversation.

10. How did the attack in Mazar affect the operation and your work?
The security challenge has made our operation and travel rather limited since the attack. We have had some security restrictions of course which make my interaction with my Afghan or international partners more difficult.

But after this incident it is so important to listen t the DO and the UNDSS and to in all levels follow their security assessment. UNAMA lost colleagues that day but I also lost a Norwegian comrade, so it is normal I think to get some thoughts about your own presence here. You become rather vulnerable when this thing happens, you think of your loved ones home and it all become very real.

11. What is a typical day for you like? Time you wake up, go to work, lunch, finish work, social life?
Wake up 06:00, make my porridge in my room, between 06:30 and 07:00 Mr.Darab my driver picks me up. Due to security, we try not to leave at the same time every day, we try to make my travel not routine. I have lunch when I have time, sometimes international meetings are around lunch time and the traffic in Kabul makes all planning a challenge so you have to eat when you can. As in the morning I try to leave my office at different times, it also depends on meetings and sometimes I do have late meetings, but I try to be home not later than 18:30 on a normal day if not any evening meetings.

The social life specially this winter has not been something which goes into history as high level. I have a very dear and good friend here which is an Australian Military Advisor. We have met in evenings for dinner, which often contains of bread, ham and cheese (yummy) and we have watched a lot of movies special during the cold winter in Kabul. I early bought myself a projector and luckily the walls are not covered with arts so we have seen a lot of films on the wall.

To do exercise and keep fit is for me the best medicine, so I have had my turns back and forward the one road inside UNOCA camp this year.

12. What experience and knowledge have you garnered that will make you a better officer when you go back to your national service?
Cultural knowledge is important in any police environment around the world now. The borders are not that strong anymore and cross border and international crime is something we face every day. I believe it s important to see and learn how your colleagues around the world are performing their duty. I learn something every day in Afghanistan.

13. What is the most positively surprising thing that you have learned since working as a UN police officer?
New friends and colleagues, a huge challenge in the high level you work in here in UNAMA. There are a lot of highly qualified colleagues in UN missions and in UNAMA I really have enjoyed the company of many of the personnel in the Political Affairs Division who often has a very deep knowledge about it all, seen from a civilian side. It is good for me as a police to also discuss and participate with the whole part of mission. I must say that during my time in UNAMA one of the person I really highly appreciate and have a deeply respect for is my boss DSRSG Martin Kobler, and I do not say that only because he is my boss. He has been very helpful to me and his door has always been open. It feels comforting to have a boss with his quality and knowledge here in this rather challenging mission.

14. What has been the most difficult challenge for you working as a UN police officer?
Of course be away from the family and friends back home is a challenge. I have been lucky and never faced challenges due to me being a woman professional police officer, but in UNAMA it has been a challenge to be the only one in Kabul/HQ office. It has been sometimes hard to not have anyone for support or to discuss police issues with inside your own organization. Afghanistan is a complex mission, the number of actors on the ground makes the tasks huge and challenging especially when you are alone and then “weak” in your position.

15. What would you like to share with other police officers who may be considering joining the United Nations for 12 to18 months?
I would say, apply. Talk to your family and loved one and together agree of this application, its not only one year away fro that police leaving their home but its also one year for those loved one home who should deal with all normal house stuff for a year without the support of the person in the mission area.

If you decide to go, do your “homework” before you go. Read about the nations you are going to, learn about the history and you can so much easier do a better job on the ground. Once you have landed, it is to late to prepare, you are tasked with duties the day you land in the mission.

You will have a fantastic your which ends up with many new friends and many good memories. There is a reason for the UN to be in that particular area, never forget that and never forget that people around you might not have that lucky start in life you have. But people are not “stupid” because they are poor, if you think so, you do a big mistake.

You will be challenged as a person and as a professional police officer. The security might be bad and you might come into challenges you wished you have never seen. But we humans are strange, after a while we only remember the good things and then…you apply for another UN mission.

Look after yourself, have an open mind and always respect and treat people the way you want to be treated your self.