From preparing for the Pope’s visit to the Central African Republic to assisting Sierra Leone in conducting elections, the UN’s Standing Police Capacity wears many hats.

SPC, as it is known, is tasked with rapidly deploying police experts to UN peacekeeping operations and post-conflict or crisis situations.

Since 2007, it has established police components in five peacekeeping operations, among other duties.

Chad, Central African Republic, Haiti, Somalia, Liberia, Sudan and South Sudan stand out as the States in which most SPC officers have been deployed.

SPC chief Maria Appelblom, one of the most senior women police officials in the UN, spoke to Liz Scaffidi about the unit and its role in peacekeeping.

Duration:  4’22”