Police officers are involved daily in ensuring that the safety, liberty and physical integrity of everyone is respected. Involvement in an international police mission can be regarded as an extension of this daily activity.

Human rights and international security

Working for human rights and international security is the primary motivation of police experts. 

In regions that are unstable and subject to conflict, organised crime is likely to spread, and abuses of all kinds will tend to become the norm. In a globalised world, the security and the living conditions of some have an impact on those of others. By making their skills available to foreign populations and authorities, Swiss experts are also working on behalf of the security of their own fellow citizens. 

Exchange of experience

For police forces in Switzerland it is a sacrifice to do without an experienced officer for the duration of a mission, but it is also an opportunity. 

Swiss experts abroad have important operational responsibilities. They manage projects and organise the training of local police officers. They also establish privileged links with their colleagues abroad. All these experiences can then be brought to bear in their work when they return from their mission. 

Adequate planning which takes account of police imperatives in Switzerland and of the wishes of the different international partners is indispensable. It is essential to plan the transition at the moment of the police officer's departure but also of their return.