The UN Security Council has adopted an Australian resolution on policing in peace operations, looking to build up missions with training and clear guidance to officers in the field.
The Australian-drafted resolution also seeks to put more women in UN policing to help tackle issues of sexual violence and other crimes affecting women in countries in turmoil.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the measure would help ensure that police officers from diverse backgrounds and nationalities all work according to the same standards.
UN police commissioner Fred Yiga from the UN mission in South Sudan told the council that international policing was key to restoring peace and ensuring "soldiers go back to their barracks and police officers get back on the streets".
The resolution adopted unanimously also provides for building up skills to develop SWAT teams, special investigative units and train more women police to address sexual violence, said UN police adviser Stefan Feller.
Feller described the resolution as "groundbreaking" for its recognition of the importance of UN policing.
Hester Paneras, police commissioner for the UN-African Union mission in Sudan's Darfur, said the measure will "give us more leverage to address some of our needs and make a difference in the field."
About 91 countries contribute police to 13 UN peace operations worldwide, with about 12,500 now serving, up from 1600 20 years ago.
