Norway's search for status through the deployment of police officers to international operations

Abstract

This thesis studies Norway’s contributions of police officers to South Sudan as part of the United Nations Mission In South Sudan (UNMISS), and to Afghanistan as part of the Norwegian Police Support to Afghan Authorities Project (NORAF), and what the rationale for Norway is for participating in international operations with police officers. My problem statement is to what degree can Norway’s participation with police officers in international operations be explained as an action to seek status. This is studied through evaluating Norway’s actions as an attempt to be perceived as either a moral authority or a reliable partner by looking at Norway’s goals and commitments, Norway’s contribution to UNMISS and NORAF, and exploring what Norway has gained through these contributions. Studying this problem statement has been approached through a qualitative approach using 12 qualitative interviews, participation observations and document analysis. My findings show that status seeking is an important part of Norway’s participation with police officers in international operations. When comparing NORAF and UNMISS, the goal to maintain Norway’s status concerning its bilateral and multilateral relations has been reached, while Norway has been less successful with reaching its goals concerned with development assistance. In addition, Norway has prioritized to be perceived as a reliable partner rather than, and often at the expense of, being perceived as a moral authority. This means that Norway’s contribution of police officers to international operations – originally meant as a tool of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for development assistance – is also used for seeking international status.