The police officers received the medal at the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague, presented by Deputy Chief Wilbert Paulissen. In addition, sixteen military personnel and twelve civilian experts from Foreign Affairs were honored by outgoing Defense Minister Brekelmans for their efforts.
Twelve missions
The police currently have 31 staff involved in 12 missions. These missions are in Armenia, Georgia, Ghana, Kosovo, Libya, Mali, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Somalia, and the Palestinian territories. The police are also present in Iraq, where Linda de Wals supported the Iraqi police for one and a half years in establishing an anti-drug policy.
Building up
Through these deployments, the police aim to contribute to stability, reconstruction, and trust in the conflict areas. The missions also help strengthen the local police and build the rule of law.
Training for deployment
Police officers going on missions receive five weeks of training from the International Police Deployments Team as preparation. This is done in cooperation with the Clingendael Institute, the police academy in Brühl, and the School for Peace Missions. Afterwards, the colleague is assisted in applying for a suitable position in the peace mission. Prior to departure, the police officer and their family/close ones are briefed about the mission by a deployment manager and the Clingendael Institute.
