The United Nations Protection Force was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars. The force was formed in February 1992 and its mandate ended in March 1995, with the peacekeeping mission restructuring into three other forces.
The United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia, commonly abbreviated UNCRO, was a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in Croatia. It was established under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter and approved by the UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 981 on 31 March 1995. UNCRO inherited personnel and infrastructure from the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). Its command was located in Zagreb; the peacekeeping troops were deployed in four sectors named North, South, East, and West. Twenty different countries contributed troops to the mission.
United Nations Security Council resolution 743, adopted unanimously on 21 February 1992, after reaffirming resolutions 713 (1991), 721 (1991), 724 (1991), 727 (1992) and 740 (1992), and considering that the situation in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia constituted a threat to international peace and stability, the council established a peacekeeping mission in the country, known as the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), with the aim of reaching a peaceful political settlement in the region.
United Nations Security Council resolution 749, adopted unanimously on 7 April 1992, after reaffirming resolutions 713 (1991), 721 (1991), 724 (1991), 727 (1992), 740 (1992) and 743 (1992), the Council approved of a report by the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and decided to authorise the earliest possible deployment of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in the former Yugoslavia.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 781 was adopted on 9 October 1992. After reaffirming Resolution 713 (1991) and all the subsequent resolutions on the situation in the former Yugoslavia, the Council decided to impose a ban on military flights in the airspace over Bosnia and Herzegovina, acting in accordance with the provisions set out in Resolution 770 (1992).
United Nations Security Council resolution 815, adopted unanimously on 30 March 1993, after reaffirming Resolution 743 (1992) and all subsequent relevant resolutions concerning the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) including 802 (1993) and 807 (1993), the council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, extended UNPROFOR's mandate for an additional interim period ending 30 June 1993.
United Nations Security Council resolution 816, adopted on 31 March 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 781 (1992), 786 (1992) concerning a ban on military flights over Bosnia and Herzegovina and recognising the current situation in the region, the council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, extended the ban to cover flights by all fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft over the country, and to use all measures necessary to ensure compliance with the ban.
United Nations Security Council resolution 836 was adopted on 4 June 1993. After reaffirming Resolution 713 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on the situation in the former Yugoslavia, the Council expressed its alarm at the continuing situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and decided to expand the mandate of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) by allowing it to use force to protect the "safe areas".
United Nations Security Council resolution 844, adopted unanimously on 18 June 1993, after reaffirming Resolution 713 (1991) and subsequent resolutions, the Council noted deteriorating situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and authorised a reinforcement of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR).
United Nations Security Council resolution 859, adopted unanimously on 24 August 1993, after recalling all resolutions on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the council noted that, despite all previous security council resolutions since Resolution 713 (1991), the region was still a scene of hostilities and there was little compliance with previous resolutions, particularly by the Bosnian Serb party.
United Nations Security Council resolution 871, adopted unanimously on 4 October 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 713 (1992) and 743 (1992) and subsequent resolutions relating to the situation in the former Yugoslavia and United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), the Council expressed concern that United Nations peacekeeping plan for Croatia, in particular Resolution 769 (1992), had not been implemented and went on to discuss the peace plan and extend UNPROFOR's mandate until 31 March 1994.
United Nations Security Council resolution 908, adopted unanimously on 31 March 1994, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in the former Yugoslavia and in particular Resolution 871 (1993), the council extended the mandate of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) until 30 September 1994 and declared its intention to increase the number of personnel in the peacekeeping force.
United Nations Security Council resolution 913 was adopted unanimously on 22 April 1994, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and also Resolution 908 (1994). The Council discussed the situation in the safe area of Goražde and a settlement of the conflict.
United Nations Security Council resolution 942, adopted on 23 September 1994, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Council reinforced measures relating to safe areas under control of Bosnian Serb forces.
United Nations Security Council resolution 947, adopted unanimously on 30 September 1994, after recalling all resolutions on the situation on the former Yugoslavia including Resolution 908 (1994), the Council discussed the situation in Croatia and extended the mandate of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) until 31 March 1995.
United Nations Security Council resolution 959, adopted unanimously on 19 November 1994, after recalling all resolutions on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina including resolutions Resolution 824 (1993) and Resolution 836 (1993), the Council discussed the efforts of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) to ensure the implementation of security council resolutions in the safe areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
United Nations Security Council resolution 981, adopted unanimously on 31 March 1995, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in the former Yugoslavia, the council established the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO) for a period terminating 30 November 1995.
United Nations Security Council resolution 982, adopted unanimously on 31 March 1995, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in the former Yugoslavia in particular Resolution 947 (1994) concerning the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), the Council extended the mandate of UNPROFOR for additional period terminating 30 November 1995 and discussed operations in Croatia.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1031, adopted unanimously on 15 December 1995, after recalling all previous resolutions on the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, the council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, discussed the transfer of authority from the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) to the multinational Implementation Force (IFOR).
On 21 November 1994, NATO aircraft taking part of Operation Deny Flight carried out an airstrike on the airbase of Udbina, Croatia, then part of the self-proclaimed Serbian Republic of Krajina. The Serbian Army of Krajina, through its 105th Aviation Brigade, had been launching air attacks on neighbour Bosnia and Herzegovina from the base in support of allied Serbian forces there, especially during the siege of Bihać. NATO forces intervened in order to deter further attacks. Two anti-aircraft SA-2 missile sites that the Serbs had used to attack Bihac in the ground-to-ground mode and to engage NATO aircraft were also destroyed in the following days. The bombing of Udbina was the largest air combat operation in Europe since World War II, and the largest combat operation in NATO's history up to that time.
