THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL SERVICE MEDAL

Obverse: The United Nations global projection emblem, above which are the letters "UN".

Reverse: Plain, with the legend "IN THE SERVICE OF PEACE".

Size: 35mm in diameter.

Ribbon: 35mm wide, the colour combination of the ribbon for this medal consists of a large blue stripe framed between two white stripes. In order to identify the theatre in which the personnel will have earned the medal, a bar is added with the name of the country or the United Nations organisation (UNMCTT, UNSCOM, etc). Ninety days of service in the Mission was necessary to qualify for award of the medal.

Suspension: The ribbon is threaded through a 12mm diameter ring, which passes through a loop fixed to the top of the piece. The ring will move forwards and backwards.

This medal was established in June 1995 to recognise those military personnel and civilian police serving the United Nations in capacities other than established peacekeeping missions and United Nations Headquarters.

New Zealand personnel have been awarded this medal while serving with the following United Nations missions:

UNMCTT. United Nations Mine Clearance Training Team in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where New Zealand army engineers were deployed between 1989 and 1991.

UNSCOM. United Nations Special Commission on Iraq. New Zealand medical teams, administration and communications personnel and civilian police served in this Mission between 1991 and 1999.

CMAC. Cambodian Mine Action Centre. New Zealand technical advisers served on this Mission between 1993 and 2005.

MADP. Mozambique United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs Accelerated De Mining Programme. New Zealand Army mine clearance trainers served on this Mission in Mozambique between 1995 and 2005.

INAROE. Angola United Nations De-Mining Programme (National Institute for the Removal of Obstacles and Explosive Ordnance). New Zealand mine awareness training teams served on this Mission in Angola between 1997 and 2000.

UXOL. Laos Programme for the assistance to the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme. New Zealand mine awareness training teams and logistics personnel served on this Mission in Laos between 1997 and 2003.

UNMOVIC. United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission. New Zealand personnel served on this Mission in Iraq from 2002 to 2003.

UNAMA. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. This Mission was established on 28 March 2002 to promote national reconciliation, fulfil the tasks and responsibilities entrusted to the United Nations in the Bonn Agreement (including those related to human rights, the rule of law and gender issues), and manage all United Nations' humanitarian relief, recovery and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan in co-ordination with the interim Afghan Government. These tasks continue to be undertaken in co-ordination with the Afghan Government elected in 2004. Since December 2004, the New Zealand Defence Force has contributed one military liaison officer to serve with UNAMA, on a six-month rotation. As at 19 May 2006, three New Zealand Defence Force officers have served in Afghanistan with UNAMA.

UNAMI. United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. This Mission was established on 14 August 2003 to manage all United Nations' humanitarian relief, recovery and reconstruction activities in Iraq, and to co-ordinate humanitarian relief, recovery and reconstruction activities with Iraq-based international non-government organisations (NGOs). Since January 2005, the New Zealand Defence Force has contributed one military advisor to serve with UNAMI, on a six-month rotation. As at 19 May 2006, three New Zealand Defence Force officers have served in Iraq with UNAMI.


UNOTIL. United Nations Office in Timor-Leste. UNOTIL was established on 20 May 2005 to support the development of critical state institutions, partly by providing training and advisory support to security-related organisations. The small military component of UNOTIL is entirely devoted to border security, through the provision of military liaison officers on Timor-Leste's land border with Indonesia, and military training advisors who are involved with the training of the Timorese Border Patrol Unit. The UNSSM, with clasp 'Timor Leste', will only be awarded to military personnel and civilian police. New Zealand personnel have served with UNOTIL since 20 May 2005. Normally the UNSSM is awarded without any clasp. This is thought to be the first time a clasp has been awarded with the medal.

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