Inter-mission cooperation

Inter-mission cooperation (IMC) refers to cooperation between United Nations peace operations, including the sharing of information or coordination among neighboring missions in the implementation of a broader regional strategy.

Inter-mission cooperation can also refer to a specific type of cooperation arrangement in which capacities of one mission—such as air assets, military and police personnel—can be used in another mission. Such an arrangement is possible only if the following conditions are met:


 * The Security Council has authorized inter-mission cooperation of this nature;
 * The troop- or police-contributing countries of the units in question agree; and
 * The governments of the host countries of the respective missions agree.

Historically, such arrangements have been utilized to address cross-border issues between missions in countries that share a border, to allow missions to respond rapidly to crises or to support mission start-up or expansion. However, "while this approach can be a means to optimize the use of deployed peacekeepers, particularly where temporary reinforcements may be needed, it should be seen only as a bridging measure, and not as a substitute for the provision of the capabilities to address long-term, continuing requirements."

Background
Under normal circumstances, inter-mission transfer between missions is not possible between peacekeeping missions because, since at least the late 1990s, the General Assembly has included the following standard operating paragraph in peacekeeping financing resolutions to prohibit cross-borrowing:

"Emphasizes that no peacekeeping mission shall be financed by borrowing funds from other active peacekeeping missions;"

In 2004, the Secretary-General proposed examination of measures to facilitate cross-border operations between the peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Liberia (UNMIL) and Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI). The Security Council, in its resolution 1609 (2005) of 24 June 2005, decided:

6. Authorizes, subject to the necessary prior steps referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5 above, including the agreements of the troop-contributing countries and, where relevant, the governments concerned, the temporary redeployment of military and civilian police personnel among UNMIL, UNAMSIL and UNOCI to deal with challenges which cannot be handled within the authorized personnel ceiling of a given mission, subject to the following conditions:


 * (a) The Secretary-General shall inform the Security Council in advance of his intention to make such a redeployment, including its scope and duration, with the understanding that the implementation of the above-mentioned reinforcement will require a corresponding decision of the Security Council,


 * (b) Any forces redeployed shall continue to be counted against the authorized ceiling on military and civilian personnel of the mission from which they are being transferred and shall not count against the ceiling of the mission to which they are being transferred,


 * (c) Any such transfer shall not result in any increase in the total combined ceilings on military and civilian personnel deployed in UNOCI, UNAMSIL and UNMIL determined by the Security Council in the respective mandates of the three missions,


 * (d) Any such transfer shall not have the effect of extending the deployment period of personnel deployed under the mandate of their original mission, unless the Security Council decides otherwise;

A similar arrangement was authorized for ONUB and MONUC in resolution 1650 (2005) of 21 December 2005.

The General Assembly, in paragraph 1 of section IX of its resolution 60/266 of 30 June 2006 on cross-cutting issues, acknowledged these inter-mission cooperation arrangements, stating:

"Welcomes the efforts to  increase  collaboration  between  missions,  in  particular  those  in  the  same  region,  and  emphasizes  the  importance  of  further  enhancing  collaboration,  to  the  extent  possible,  with  a  view  to  achieving  greater  synergy in the effective and efficient use of the resources of the United Nations and the implementation of missions’ mandates, bearing in mind that individual missions bear  a  responsibility  for  the  preparation  and  for  overseeing  their  own  budgets  and  for controlling their own assets and logistical operations;"

Temporary deployments or transfers of units or assets
When units or assets are temporarily deployed under inter-mission cooperation arrangements, they count against the authorized strength of the sending mission, and costs associated with reimbursement of personnel and contingent-owned equipment are charged against the sending mission's budget. Operational costs of units while deployed under IMC, e.g. fuel, water, rations, are borne by the receiving mission.

Below are instances in which the Security Council has authorized IMC through the temporary deployment or transfer of units or assets from one mission to another.