The United Nations Police Advisor, Mr. Faisal Shahkar, visited Abyei from 28 November to 1 December 2025, to reinforce UNISFA’s efforts to advance the rule of law, strengthen partnerships with communities and support the professionalization of international policing through the Strategic Guidance Framework (SGF). His visit underscored the UN’s commitment to ensuring that field missions are equipped with harmonized, internationally accepted policing standards that enable effective mandate delivery. During the mission, Mr. Shahkar met local authorities, traditional leaders, the Community Protection Committee and the Joint Community Protection Committee and engaged with UNISFA UNPOLs during visits to Athony, Dokura and Todach Teamsites. While at Todach, he planted a commemorative tree, symbolizing the UN’s dedication to environmental stewardship and sustainable development alongside its policing priorities.
A major focus of the visit was the joint UNISFA-UNMISS SGF review workshop, hosted by UNISFA Police Commissioner Ms. Helmey Abraham and supported by UNMISS Police Commissioner Mr. Meinolf Schlotmann and his delegation. Developed through broad consultations between Member States and the Department of Peace Operations which is repeatedly endorsed by the UN Security Council and the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, the SGF provides the unified doctrine that guides all aspects of UN police work. The workshop came at a particularly timely moment, as missions continue to operate under significant financial constraints, underscoring the importance of consistent guidance, efficient use of resources and strengthened interoperability across operations. Over three days, senior UNPOL leaders and mission stakeholders deepened their understanding of SGF principles, shared practical lessons learned and identified gaps that will inform the Police Division’s ongoing global review of policing guidance.
The sessions also advanced the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P and A4P+) agenda, which emphasizes the deployment of well-prepared police personnel aligned with international standards and capable of delivering context-specific support. Gender-responsive policing featured prominently, with SGF materials reviewed to ensure full integration of Women, Peace and Security priorities and strong participation from women police experts. Participants also addressed operational challenges affecting SGF implementation, highlighting the need for sustained awareness-raising, capacity-building and engagement with Member States, academia and training institutions.
Mr. Shahkar commended the resilience and dedication of UNISFA and UNMISS police officers working in Abyei and South Sudan respectively. He reiterated the UN’s commitment to strengthening consistent, accountable and community-focused policing that contributes to peace, stability and effective mandate implementation.
Reflecting on the exchanges, the Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander Maj. Gen. Robbert Yaw Afram emphasized the importance of turning discussion into action, noting that “the ideas exchanged here must now be carried forward, into patrols, community engagement, leadership decisions, and every interaction where, professionalism and integrity matter most.”
In closing, UNISFA Police Commissioner Ms. Abraham thanked the visiting delegation for their strong collaboration and reaffirmed the mission’s commitment to embedding SGF standards across its operations.
