The United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC), established by Security Council resolution 717 in 1991, was tasked with the oversight of a ceasefire agreement between the nation’s four major political organizations: the ruling State of Cambodia, a Vietnamese-installed government known until 1989 as the People’s Republic of Kampuchea; the Party of Democratic Kampuchea, or Khmer Rouge; the Khmer People’s Liberation Front; and the United National Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peace, and Cooperative Cambodia. Besides assisting in the ceasefire, UNAMIC also had a mandate to begin mine-awareness education and training of the country’s civilian population.
A second Security Council resolution (728) enlarged the original mandate regarding mine-awareness training, establish a major program of training for Cambodians in the detection and removal of mines, with a special focus on mine-clearing the routes used for repatriation of refugees, reception areas, and areas developed for resettlement. In March, 1992, UNAMIC’s mandates and missions were absorbed into the newly authorized United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia, which was also charged with overseeing free and open elections in the country.
UNAMIC is a Department-of-Defense approved United Nations mission, which means that the U.N. medal associated with it is authorized for acceptance and wear by personnel who meet the base eligibility requirements: A minimum of ninety consecutive days in the service of the U.N., and service that is under the operational or tactical control of the U.N. (the regulations do not make it clear if all ninety days must be spent under operational or tactical U.N. control). The ninety days must fall within the period beginning October 1, 1991 and March 31, 1992.