Bosnia, Timor, Haiti, Central African Republic and now New York. Luís Carrilho is the new UN police adviser

As a special adviser to the United Nations Police, he takes a goals of the organization very seriously: “We need to increase the number of women police in United Nations missions.” It is an important objective for operational reasons: “On the ground – the insecurity that justifies the presence of the UN in many conflict countries – there are many victims and vulnerable groups who need support and women police have a better ability to protect civilians, particularly children, women, the elderly and those mutilated.

While still in command of the United Nations police corps at the RCA peace mission, Luís Carrilho was honoured with Outstanding Role Model, becoming the first Portuguese official to receive such a UN distinction. Now, as a police adviser, Luís Carrilho will continue with his eyes on the world map, but this time as a strategist.. “The division where I am is strategically coordinating police actions on the ground both in peacekeeping missions such as the Central African Republic and in political missions such as the Guinea Bissau.”

The official recalls that, currently, there are 18 international missions where the UN police force is located. “It is important that there are people with technical skills and an adequate profile for these missions and that coordination between the mission and the member countries is done in an integrated way through the Police Division in New York,” he said.

Luís Carrilho praises the role that the various Portuguese security forces have had in missions abroad, “including the GNR and the Foreigners and Borders Service, but also civilian technicians who in Timor made a huge contribution.”