THE UNITED NATIONS MEDAL (UNTAG)

Obverse: The United Nations global projection emblem, above which are the letters "UN".

Reverse: Plain, with the legend "IN THE SERVICE OF PEACE".

Size: 35mm in diameter.

Ribbon: 35mm wide, the ribbon for this medal is buff with an 8mm wide light blue stripe at each edge. In the centre are five 1mm lines, being from left to right, black, yellow, red, green and dark blue. Ninety days of service in the Mission was necessary to qualify for award of the medal.

Suspension: The ribbon is threaded through a 12mm diameter ring, which passes through a loop fixed to the top of the piece. The ring will move forwards and backwards.

United Nations Transition Assistance Group, in Namibia, 1 April 1989 to 21 March 1990. UNTAG was formed to ensure free and fair elections in Namibia, previously under the administration of South Africa. Their duties included monitoring the cease-fire of the civil war that had been taking place, reduction and removal of South African forces from the area, ensuring that South West Africa Police and security forces carried out their duties consistently with free and fair elections, and ensuring that a change in the political climate took place to enable the population to feel free from intimidation. At maximum deployment, UNTAG consisted of 8,000 personnel. New Zealand had police monitors attached to the force for the duration of its deployment, and a detachment of army engineers attached to the force from 26 September 1989.

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