UN Peacekeeping Force – 2000
2000
UNTAET was established in resolution 1272 on 25 October 1999 and took over peacekeeping responsibility from INTERFET in February 2000. UNTAET had the mandate to (a) provide security and maintain law and order throughout the territory of East Timor, (b) establish an effective administration, c) To assist in the development of civil and social services, (d) ensure the coordination and delivery of humanitarian assistance, rehabilitation and development assistance, (e) support capacity-building for self-government, and (f) assist in the establishment of conditions for sustainable development. UNTAET was authorized to contain up to 9,150 military troops and 1,640 civilian police.
Immediately after the transfer of responsibility from INTERFET to UNTAET, the mission began to recruit Timorese to fill posts within the East Timor Transitional Administration (ETTA) and recruit and train a Timorese police force. While a reduction in the force level of UNTAET by the end of the year was originally planned, it was delayed to cope with the threat of militias along the West Timor border. Most of the mission’s military forces were deployed along the border region, where they worked to disarm militias and destroy confiscated weapons. By the end of the year the strength of the mission was 7,886 all ranks, including 120 military observers, and 1402 civilian police.1