Stowarzyszenie Kombatantów Misji Pokojowych ONZ

Stowarzyszenie Kombatantów Misji Pokojowych ONZ (SKMP ONZ) is a Polish public benefit organization (organizacja pożytku publicznego) that brings together veterans of peacekeeping, stabilization and humanitarian missions carried out under the auspices of the United Nations and, with the authorization of the UN Security Council, under the leadership of other international organizations such as NATO and the EU. Its statutory aims are to popularize the involvement of Polish soldiers in foreign missions, to integrate the community of veterans of operations outside the country, and to support former participants of peacekeeping and stabilization missions who find themselves in difficult health or material circumstances. The organization was created in response to a resolution of the World Federation of Veterans adopted at its congress in Seoul in November 1997, which extended the concept of "combatant" to participants in peacekeeping missions. Work on establishing the association in Poland began in 1998 under an initiative group led by retired Major General Dr. Roman Misztal, the first commander of UN forces in the Middle East. A founding group was assembled on 28 October 1998 and an Organizing Committee was appointed on 23 March 1999. On 31 May 1999 the association obtained legal personality and was entered in the register by the District Court in Warsaw. The First National Congress of Delegates was held on 10 September 1999, electing the Main Board and the Main Audit Commission. The first local circle was established in Bydgoszcz in October 1999. SKMP ONZ is a membership organization with a national structure. Its supreme authorities are the National Congress of Delegates, the Main Board (Zarząd Główny) and the Main Audit Commission. The Main Board, which directs current activities, has 17 members. As of 31 January 2015 the association had over 3,000 members, including 43 honorary members, and had established 50 local circles. The president of the association is retired Brigadier General Dr. Stanisław Woźniak. The headquarters of the Main Board is in Warsaw at Al. Niepodległości 141, room 407. The association cooperates with a range of state and social institutions, including the National Security Bureau, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and Administration, the Office for Veterans and Repressed Persons, the Field Ordinariate of the Polish Army, the Orthodox Ordinariate of the Polish Army, the Evangelical Military Chaplaincy, the International Association of Soldiers for Peace and the World Federation of Veterans. Since 2013 it has been a member of the World Federation of Veterans. Among its notable activities, SKMP ONZ has issued a Certificate of Participant of a Peacekeeping and Stabilization Mission since 2009, and awards the Medal "For Merits for the Association of Veterans of UN Peacekeeping Missions" to individuals and institutions supporting its statutory goals. The association organizes seminars, popular-science conferences, exhibitions in museums and garrison clubs, and meetings with school and university students, and it publishes albums and reports. Its official website provides information on its history, authorities, membership rules, statutes, veterans' legislation and annual reports.

The decision to establish the Association of Veterans of UN Peacekeeping Missions (SKMP ONZ) was a response to a resolution of the World Federation of Veterans adopted at its congress in Seoul in November 1997, which extended the concept of "combatant" to participants in peacekeeping missions. Work on organizing the association in Poland began in 1998. An initiative group was formed under the leadership of retired Major General Dr. Roman Misztal, who had been the first commander of UN forces in the Middle East. A founding group was assembled on 28 October 1998, and an Organizing Committee was appointed on 23 March 1999. On 31 May 1999 the association obtained legal personality and, by a decision of the District Court in Warsaw, was entered in the register in Division A, item RST 3713. The First National Congress of Delegates was held on 10 September 1999, during which the Main Board and the Main Audit Commission were elected. Retired Brigadier General Dr. Tadeusz Cepak became President of the Main Board and served until 2006. On 3 March 2007, retired Brigadier General Dr. Stanisław Woźniak took over the duties of President, and on 15 October 2011 he was again elected President of the Main Board. On 17 October 2015 he was elected for another four-year term. Initially the Main Board was located in Warsaw at ul. Banacha 2. The current seat of the Main Board is in Warsaw at Al. Niepodległości 141, room 407. In October 1999 the first local circle of the association was established in Bydgoszcz. Over the years the association grew into a national structure with 50 local circles and, as of 31 January 2015, more than 3,000 members, including 43 honorary members. One of the honorary members is Cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz. Since 2009 the association has awarded a Certificate of Participant of a Peacekeeping and Stabilization Mission. The certificate has a registration number and contains information about the military rank, name and surname of the participant, the region of the peacekeeping or stabilization mission, or all terms and places of service. It is sealed by the Main Board and signed by the President. The designer of the certificate is Colonel Ryszard Keller. The association also awards the Medal "For Merits for the Association of Veterans of UN Peacekeeping Missions" to persons and institutions for special merits for veterans of operations outside the country who significantly support the statutory goals of the association. The medal was designed by Lieutenant Colonel Ryszard Gielniewski and Magdalena Sąsiadek. Among those honored with the medal are Minister of National Defence Tomasz Siemoniak, Head of the National Security Bureau Prof. Stanisław Koziej, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army Gen. Mieczysław Cieniuch, Operational Commander of the Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Edward Gruszka, Commander of the Warsaw Garrison Brig. Gen. Wiesław Grudziński, deputy chairman of the National Defence Committee Maciej Grubski, Member of the European Parliament Karol Karski, deputy chairwoman of the National Defence Committee Jadwiga Zakrzewska, the National Defence Academy, the 6th Airborne Brigade in Kraków, the 10th Opole Logistics Brigade, the Field Cathedral of the Polish Army, Mayor of Bydgoszcz Rafał Bruski, Mayor of Kraków Jacek Majchrowski, and Mayor of Łódź Hanna Zdanowska. Posthumously, the medal was awarded to Gen. Franciszek Gągor and Gen. Bronisław Kwiatkowski. Since 2013 the association has been a member of the World Federation of Veterans. It cooperates with the National Security Bureau, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and Administration, the Office for Veterans and Repressed Persons, the Field Ordinariate of the Polish Army, the Orthodox Ordinariate of the Polish Army, the Evangelical Military Chaplaincy, the International Association of Soldiers for Peace and the World Federation of Veterans. Its main statutory goals include popularizing the involvement of Polish soldiers in foreign missions through seminars and popular-science conferences, publishing albums, organizing exhibitions in museums and garrison clubs, and meeting with school and university students; integrating the community of veterans of operations outside the country; and supporting former participants of peacekeeping and stabilization missions in difficult health or material circumstances.

• World Federation of Veterans congress in Seoul adopts resolution extending the concept of "combatant" to peacekeeping mission participants.

• Founding group assembled.

• Organizing Committee appointed.

• Association obtains legal personality and is entered in the register by the District Court in Warsaw (Division A, item RST 3713).

• First National Congress of Delegates; Main Board and Main Audit Commission elected.

• First local circle established in Bydgoszcz.

• Gen. bryg. w st. spocz. dr Tadeusz Cepak ends term as President.

• Gen. bryg. w st. spocz. dr Stanisław Woźniak takes over duties of President.

• Association begins awarding the Certificate of Participant of a Peacekeeping and Stabilization Mission.

• Gen. bryg. w st. spocz. dr Stanisław Woźniak again elected President of the Main Board.

• Association becomes a member of the World Federation of Veterans.

• Association has over 3,000 members, including 43 honorary members, and 50 local circles.

• Gen. bryg. w st. spocz. dr Stanisław Woźniak elected President for another four-year term.

A Polish public benefit organization and veterans' association dedicated to integrating and supporting veterans of UN, NATO and EU peacekeeping, stabilization and humanitarian missions.

• Certificate of Participant of a Peacekeeping and Stabilization Mission

  Awarded since 2009; contains registration number, military rank, name, mission region or all terms and places of service; sealed by the Main Board and signed by the President.

• Medal "For Merits for the Association of Veterans of UN Peacekeeping Missions"

  Awarded to persons and institutions for special merits for veterans of operations outside the country who significantly support the statutory goals of the association.

1. 1Stowarzyszenie Kombatantów Misji Pokojowych ONZ | Organizacja Pożytku Publicznego KRS 0000158391skmponz.pl
2. 2Stowarzyszenie Kombatantów Misji Pokojowych ONZ – Wikipediapl.wikipedia.org
3. 3Stowarzyszenie Kombatantów Misji Pokojowych ONZ – Wikidatawikidata.org