United Nations Department of Peace Operations
The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) (French: Département des opérations de maintien de la paix) is a department of the United Nations charged with the planning, preparation, management and direction of UN peacekeeping operations. Previously known as the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), it was created in March 1992, as part of a restructuring of the UN's peace and security apparatus. The DPO retains the core functions and responsibilities of its predecessor, with a greater emphasis on cohesion, integrating different resources and knowledge, and promoting human rights.
| Abbreviation | DPO |
|---|---|
| Formation | March 1992 |
| Headquarters | United Nations Headquarters |
Head | Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix |
Parent organization | United Nations Secretariat |
| Subsidiaries | Office of Operations, Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, Office of Military Affairs, Policy, Evaluation and Training Division |
| Website | peacekeeping |
With an annual budget of roughly $6.5 billion, the DPO is the largest UN agency by expenditure, exceeding the UN's own regular budget. As of March 2020, it oversees 81,370 personnel serving in thirteen peacekeeping missions.