Misplaced Pages

United Nations Medal
United Nations Medal awarded for service with UNMEE
Type	Service medal
Awarded for	Service with a designated United Nations peacekeeping mission
Presented by	the United Nations
Status	Currently awarded

A United Nations Medal is an international decoration awarded by the United Nations (UN) to the various world countries members for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief. The medal is ranked in militaries and police forces as a service medal. The United Nations awarded its first medal during the Korean War (1950–1953). Since 1955, many additional United Nations medals have been created and awarded for participation in various United Nations missions and actions around the world.

United Nations Medal

The most common United Nations medal is the standard UN decoration known simply as the United Nations Medal. Most countries bestow this award for any action in which a member of the military participated in a joint UN activity.

In situations where a service member participated in multiple UN operations, service stars, campaign clasps, or award numbers are authorized as attachments to the United Nations Medal. These devices vary depending on the regulations of the various armed forces.

The UN has authorised the award of numerals to be attached to the medal ribbon. The qualification for these numerals is not to indicate the number of campaigns served in, but rather the number of qualifying periods of service. Which are counted as 180 days after the initial qualifying period of 90 days if the service is performed as 270 days consecutive. For two or more deployments, each deployment has to be at least 90 consecutive days each.

United Nations Korea Medal

The first United Nations medal to be created was the United Nations Service Medal, also known as the United Nations Service Medal Korea, was awarded to any military service member, of an Armed Force allied with South Korea, who participated in the defense of South Korea from North Korea between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1953. The military forces of the Netherlands are awarded the medal for service to January 1, 1955, while the armed forces of Thailand and Sweden grant the award to July 27, 1955.

United Nations Emergency Force Medal

In 1956, to maintain the peace which brought the end of the Suez Crisis the United Nations Emergency Force was established. This was the first Peacekeeping operation of the United Nations. To reward the service of troops from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, India, Norway, Sweden and Yugoslavia those troops who completed ninety days of service with the UNEF were awarded the United Nations Emergency Force Medal. The mission lasted from November 1956 until June 1967. It is unique from other United Nations Medals in that instead of saying UN on the obverse, it says UNEF. Subsequent missions did not use the mission’s abbreviation on its medals.

United Nations Medal ribbons

In most nations, the standard United Nations Medal is awarded in lieu of a campaign-specific medal. Most operations utilize a different ribbon for each mission, though there have been some notable exceptions. In some countries where the UN Security Council determines a mission in the same geographic region, but changes the mission mandate by way of Security Council Resolution, there may be a number of missions which have identical campaign ribbons and then later will change the ribbon to reflect the changing environment.

The United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) was originally established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 867 on 23 September 1993 and lasted until in June 1996. This mission was an effort to end the conflict and instability caused by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état. Subsequent missions to maintain stability and train the Haitian National Police were undertaken under UNSMIH, UNTMIH, MIPONUH, and MICAH. These subsequent missions all used the same ribbon as UNMIH.

In East Timor, the medals awarded for UNAMET, UNTAET and UNMISET all have the same ribbon.

Years Ribbon bar Operation Operation area 1948– UNTSO Middle East 1949– UNMOGIP India, Pakistan 1958 UNOGIL Lebanon, Syria 1960–1964 ONUC Congo 1962–1963 UNSF West-Papua and Indonesia 1963–1964 UNYOM Yemen 1964– UNFICYP Cyprus 1965–1966 No mission medal DOMREP Dominican Republic 1965–1966 UNIPOM India, Pakistan 1973–1979 UNEF II Egypt, Israel 1974– UNDOF Golan Heights 1978– UNIFIL Lebanon 1988–1991 UNIIMOG Iraq, Iran 1988–1990 UNGOMAP Afghanistan, Pakistan 1988–1991 UNAVEM I Angola 1989–1990 UNTAG Namibia 1989–1992 ONUCA Central America 1991–2003 UNIKOM Kuwait, Iraq 1991– MINURSO Western Sahara 1991–1995 UNAVEM II Angola 1991–1995 ONUSAL El Salvador 1991–2003 UNGCI Iraq 1991–1992 UNAMIC Cambodia 1992–1995 UNPROFOR Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars 1992–1993 UNTAC Cambodia 1992–1993 UNOSOM I Somalia 1992–1994 ONUMOZ Mozambique 1993–1995 UNOSOM II Somalia 1993–1994 UNOMUR Rwanda, Uganda 1993–2009 UNOMIG Georgia 1993–1997 UNOMIL Liberia 1993–1996 UNAMIR Rwanda 1993–1996 UNMIH Haiti 1994 No mission medal UNASOG Libya Chad 1994–2000 UNMOT Tajikistan during civil war 1995–1997 UNAVEM III Angola 1995–1999 UNPREDEP Macedonia 1995–1996 UNCRO Croatia

Years Ribbon bar Operation Operation area 1995–2002 UNMIBH Bosnia-Herzegovina 1996–1998 UNTAES Croatia 1996–1997 UNSMIH Haiti 1996–2002 UNMOP Croatia 1997 MINUGUA Guatemala 1997–1999 MONUA Angola 1997 UNTMIH Haiti 1997–2000 MIPONUH Haiti 1998 UNPSG Croatia 1998–2000 MINURCA Central African Republic 1998–1999 UNOMSIL Sierra Leone 1999– UNMIK Kosovo 1999 UNAMET East Timor 1999–2005 UNAMSIL Sierra Leone 1999–2002 UNTAET East Timor 1999–2010 MONUC Democratic Republic of the Congo 2000–2001 MICAH Haiti 2000–2008 UNMEE Eritrea, Ethiopia 2002–2005 UNMISET East Timor 2003–2018 UNMIL Liberia 2003–2004 MINUCI Ivory Coast 2004–2018 UNOCI Ivory Coast 2004–2017 MINUSTAH Haiti 2004–2006 ONUB Burundi 2005–2011 UNMIS Sudan 2006–2012 UNMIT East Timor 2007–2020 UNAMID* Sudan 2007–2010 MINURCAT Central African Republic, Chad 2010– MONUSCO Democratic Republic of the Congo 2011– UNISFA Sudan 2011– UNMISS South Sudan 2012 UNSMIS Syria 2013– MINUSMA Mali 2014– MINUSCA Central African Republic 2017–2019 MINUJUSTH Haiti 2021–2024 Need image UNITAMS Sudan 1974– UNHQ For service in the United Nations Headquarters

• For the UNAMID medal, the ribbon design was changed after 2008 from the predominately yellow pattern to the blue/green/yellow/white pattern.

United Nations Special Service Medal

For 90 days of service with a United Nations mission or organization where there is no specific approved United Nations medal, personnel may be eligible for the United Nations Special Service Medal (UNSSM). Some examples of qualifying service are the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, or the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs Accelerated De-Mining Programme (MADP) in Mozambique, work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and more.

Receipt and wear of UN Medals

France, Australia, Canada and New Zealand

Some nations, such as France, the Commonwealth of Australia, Canada and New Zealand permit members of the military and police to receive and display multiple United Nations Medals as separate decorations.

Ukraine

Personnel of the Armed Forces are allowed to wear United Nations medals if they choose to. Such medals shall be worn after National and Presidential decorations, decorations of the Ministry of Defense, decorations of the General Staff, decorations of other military units, Ministries and departments and before decorations of the European Union and NATO in order of award.

United Kingdom

Other countries, in particular the United Kingdom, permit British citizens to receive the relevant United Nations medal and authorization for it to be worn is given by the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office). Numerals may be added to denote multiple tours to one mission, the medals are worn in order of award and take precedence alongside British campaign medals.

United States

In the United States Armed Forces, prior to 13 October 1995, all US military personnel wore the blue and white United Nations Ribbon regardless of the ribbon awarded. On 13 October 1995, the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) approved a change to the wear policy of the United Nations Medal. Effective on that date, personnel who are awarded the United Nations Medal may wear the first medal and ribbon for which they qualify, adding a bronze service star for subsequent awards of the United Nations Medal for service in a different mission. No more than one UN medal or ribbon may be worn at a time. On US uniforms, the UN Medal is worn before the NATO Medal, except for the United Nations Korea Medal, which is worn as a campaign medal just before the Vietnam Campaign Medal.

US military personnel are eligible to wear the medal from one of the following United Nations operations as their one approved medal:

• UN Truce Supervisory Organization in Palestine (UNTSO)
• UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)
• UN Observation Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL)
• UN Security Forces, Hollandia (UNSFH)
• UN Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA)
• UN Security Force in West New Guinea (UNSF)
• UN Iraq/Kuwait Observation Group (UNIKOM)
• UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)
• UN Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC)
• UN Protection Force in Yugoslavia (UNPROFOR)
• UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC)
• UN Operation Somalia (UNOSOM)
• UN Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ)
• UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)
• UN Mission in Haiti (UNMIH)
• UN Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP)
• UN Transitional Administrational Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirium (UNTAES)
• UN Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH)
• UN Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA)
• UN Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK)
• UN Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET)
• UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)
• UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
• UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)
• UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET)
• UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
• UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
• African Union / United Nations Hybrid Operation In Darfur (UNAMID)
• UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT)
• UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)
• UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)
• UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)

Argentina

Members of the Argentinian Armed Forces are allowed to wear the different UN medals as separate decorations. However, authorization for use must be formally requested for every single medal, and is granted on an individual basis. Regulations for the use of either medals or ribbons apply for each uniform. In the Argentinian Army, a national-issued, maroon-and-white bar showing the number of tours of duty may be worn in lieu of (but not together with) the UN-issued ribbons.

Switzerland

Members of the Swiss Armed Forces are allowed to wear one UN ribbon (of their choice between all UN awarded decorations). The ribbon is to be worn before EU (Althea Mission) or NATO ribbons but after the Swiss ribbons. Numbers are allowed on the UN ribbon as well as on other allowed "foreign" ribbons.

Malaysia

Malaysian awardees are granted the post nominal of PNBB (Pingat Perkhidmatan Negara Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu).

See also

• International decoration
• Common Security and Defence Policy Service Medal
• Multinational Force and Observers Medal
• NATO Medal

References

1. "UN peacekeeping – Medals: background". United Nations. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
2. "United Nations Medals". The Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
3. "DH&R – Canadian Honours Chart". Cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
4. "Retrospective Awards of the United Nations Medal and Ribbon Numerals" (PDF). Defence Honours and Awards. Government of Australia Department of Defence. p. 2. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
5. "Personnel Archives & Medals".
6. "Regulations United Nations Service Medal Korea" (PDF). Australian Government, Department of Defence. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
7. "United Nations Emergency Force (Egypt)-UNEF". Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
8. "UN Medals – UNEF". United Nations. 16 June 1997. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
9. "UN Medals – UNMIH". United Nations. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
10. "UN Medals – UNAMET/UNTAET". United Nations. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
11. "Thumbs up: ASP Mariama Barry honoured, receives UN medal in Sudan". LamToro News. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
12. "Про затвердження Правил носіння військової форми одягу та знаків розрізнення військовослужбовцями Збройних Сил України та ліцеїстами військових ліцеїв" [On approval of the Rules of wearing of military uniform and insignia by personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and cadets of military lyceums] (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 20 November 2017.
13. "United Nations Medals". The Institute of Heraldry. Department of the Army. Archived from the original on 2016-06-17. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
14. "United Nations Medal". Air Force Personnel Center. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
15. "DoD Approved UN Missions and Actions for Acceptance of the UN Medal" (PDF). Manpower and Reserve Affairs The Office of the Assistant Secretary Defense. Department of Defense. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
16. "Susunan Keutamaan Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan". Archived from the original on 2018-08-26. Retrieved 2016-06-11.

External links

• "Regulations for the United Nations Medal". United Nations. 16 February 1966. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
• "Regulations for the United Nations Medal". United Nations. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
• United Nations Medal (with images, from New Zealand Defence Force website)
• United Nations Medals (with images, from Veterans Affairs, Canada)
• Defence, National (2021-05-13). "Numerals". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2023-05-23.

v t e United Nations
Secretary-General: António Guterres Deputy Secretary-General: Amina J. Mohammed General Assembly President: Dennis Francis
UN System	Charter Preamble Principal organs Secretariat Secretary-General selections Deputy Secretary-General Under-Secretary-General General Assembly President International Court of Justice Statute Security Council Elections Members President Reform Veto power Economic and Social Council President Trusteeship Council Funds, programmes, and other bodies Culture of Peace IAEA IPCC ITC MINURSO OHCHR SCSL UNAIDS UNCDF UNCITRAL UNCTAD UNDGC UNDP UNDPO peacekeeping UNEP OzonAction UNEP/GRID-Arendal UNEP-WCMC UNFPA UN-HABITAT UNHCR UNHRC UNICEF UNICRI UNIDIR UNITAR UN-Oceans UNODC UNOPS UNOSAT UNRISD UNRWA UNSDG UNSSC UNU UNU-CRIS UNU-OP UNV UN Women WFP Specialized agencies FAO ICAO IFAD ILO IMF IMO IOM ITU UN Tourism UNESCO UNIDO UPU WFEO WHO WIPO WMO World Bank Group IBRD IDA IFC Secretariat offices and departments Headquarters Conference Building General Assembly Building Secretariat Building Department of Economic and Social Affairs Department of Peace Operations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Dag Hammarskjöld Library Department for Safety and Security Division for Palestinian Rights Office at Geneva Palace of Nations Office at Nairobi Office at Vienna Office for Disarmament Affairs Office for Outer Space Affairs Office for Partnerships Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Office of Internal Oversight Services Office of Legal Affairs Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States Office of Counter-Terrorism Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Office on Sport for Development and Peace UN organizations by location
Members and observers	Founding members Full members Security Council Permanent members Permanent representatives to the UN list General Assembly Observers European Union
History	Preceding years International Telegraph Union Universal Postal Union Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 Permanent Court of Arbitration International Office of Public Hygiene League of Nations archives covenant organization member states Preparatory years Declaration of St James's Palace (1941) Atlantic Charter (1941) Declaration by United Nations (1942) Moscow Conference (1943) Tehran Conference (1943) Bretton Woods Conference (1944) Dumbarton Oaks Conference (1944) Yalta Conference (1945) Conference on International Organization (1945) Genocide Convention (1948) Activities Enlargement Peacekeeping missions timeline governed territories UNPOL Universal Declaration of Human Rights drafting Human Rights Day World Heritage Convention Convention on the Rights of the Child committee Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Indigenous Caucus Sustainable Development Goals Declaration on the Rights of Peasants
Resolutions	Security Council vetoes General Assembly 66th 67th Security Council Cyprus Iran Iraq Israel Lebanon Nagorno-Karabakh North Korea Palestine Syria Western Sahara Yemen
Elections	Secretary-General 2021 2016 International Court of Justice 2023 2022 2021 2020 2017 2014 2011 General Assembly President (2016) Security Council (2016)
Related	Outline Advisory Committee of Local Authorities Art Collection Security Council mural Block By Block Bretton Woods system Celestial Sphere Woodrow Wilson Memorial CCISUA Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Criticism Delivering as One Drug control treaties Expulsion from the United Nations Ex Tempore Federal Credit Union FICSA Flag Honour Flag Four Nations Initiative Global Compact International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons International Day of Peace International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World International Narcotics Control Board International School Hanoi Interpretation Service Laissez-passer Memorial Cemetery Korea Military Staff Committee Millennium Declaration Millennium Summit Model United Nations Official languages Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Postal Administration Ralph Bunche Park Reform SDG Publishers Compact Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners Treaty Series Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons UN Mandate UN Sacco UN Special UNICEF club United Nations Day United Nations in popular culture United Nations Medal United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights United Nations Radio United Nations television film series University for Peace Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge Withdrawal from the United Nations Women in peacekeeping World Federation of United Nations Associations
World portal

v t e Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Nations
General	Dag Hammarskjöld Medal Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal United Nations Peace Medal United Nations Emergency Force Medal United Nations Korea Medal
Military	General UNTSO UNMOGIP UNOGIL ONUC UNTEA UNFICYP UNIPOM UNEF II UNDOF UNIFIL UNHQ UNIIMOG UNTAG ONUCA UNAVEM United Nations Special Service Medal MINURSO UNIKOM UNAMIC ONUSAL UNTAC UNPROFOR UNOSOM UNMIH UNAMIR UNPREDEP UNMOP UNTAES UNMIK UNAMET/UNTAET/UNMISET MONUC UNMEE UNMIL MINUCI/ONUCI MINURCAT II MONUSCO Mandated Missions International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia Medal NATO Medal for SFOR NATO Medal for KFOR INTERFET Medal NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for the Balkans NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for ISAF

• Medals of the United Nations