Part II Commentaries to Typical Sofa Rules, 15 Uniform

Subject(s):

Military assistance — Sovereignty — Military matters — Peace keeping

This chapter examines the provisions for the use of uniforms. Members of the armed forces have traditionally worn uniform to distinguish themselves from members of the civilian population and often to identify the unit or formation to which they belong. Military members and the UN civilian police of UN peace operations wear uniform as provided under para. 37 of the UN Model SOFA. As the UN does not have a standing army or police force, it relies on contributions by its Member States generally wearing their national uniforms, but wearing the UN badges and insignia and the now familiar blue berets or helmets. For NATO military operations, the wearing of uniform is usually regulated in status-of-forces agreements (SOFAs), considering that permission of the receiving state to display foreign national insignia is required as an expression of its sovereignty.