14 September 2010 - “Women bring another dimension to one of the UN’s most important tasks: policing,” said UNAMID Police Commissioner James Oppong-Boanuh at the launch of the Mission’s first policewomen’s networking forum, in El Fasher, North Darfur.

The forum will provide a platform for UNAMID’s female police officers to exchange ideas and experiences from their countries to increase the impact of their work in Darfur and to promote better interaction with Government policewomen. “These are all key ingredients for a durable peace,” said the Police Commissioner.

The event was also attended by representatives from UNIFEM and UNFPA, who voiced support for the initiative. Currently, 524 of the Mission’s approximately 4,900 police peacekeepers are female.