EU: European Union foreign ministers have appointed a senior garda as head of the EU Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Assistant Commissioner Mr Kevin Carty will lead an international force of 470 police officers, including three from the Garda Síochána and 60 civilian personnel.
At a meeting in Brussels yesterday, the ministers approved Mr Carty's appointment unanimously following a recommendation by the EU's foreign policy chief, Mr Javier Solana. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, welcomed the appointment.
"The EU Police Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the union's first under European security and defence policy, remains a very important element of the EU's overall contribution to peace and stability in that country and in the wider region. Assistant Commissioner Carty's role will therefore be a highly significant one. His appointment confirms the high international esteem for An Garda Síochána and their contributions to international police missions," he said.
Born in Ballymote, Co Sligo in 1950, Mr Carty joined the Garda Síochána in 1969, serving in Limerick, Cavan/Monaghan, Dublin and the Special Detective Unit. He received a Gold Scott Medal in 1974 for his part in arresting an armed man while he himself was unarmed.
Mr Carty led the Garda National Drugs Unit until 1998, when he was appointed assistant commissioner in charge of the Northern Region.
Last February, he moved to the Dublin Metropolitan Region and later in 2003, he took part in an investigation into UN security in Iraq following the bombing of the organisation's headquarters in Baghdad.
The EU Police Mission took over from a UN-led operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina on January 1st, 2003 and is scheduled to run until the end of 2005. Its tasks include monitoring, mentoring, inspection, training and technical support for the local police authorities.
The mission has no executive powers and the international police officers are unarmed.
Mr Carty, who will take up his new post on March 1st, succeeds Mr Sven Frederiksen, a Danish police officer who died following a heart attack last month. Mr Carty's appointment is for one year with an option to renew.