The United Nations Medal was established by the Secretary General of United Nations, 30 July 1959. Presidential acceptance of the medal for the U.S. Armed Forces was announced in Executive Order 11139, 7 January 1964.

1. Description: A Bronze medal, 1 3/8 inches in diameter, with a top view of the globe enclosed at sides and bottom by a wreath and the letters "UN" at the top of the medal. On the reverse side is the inscription "IN THE SERVICE OF PEACE". The United Nations Service Medal Korea is the same design, except the obverse does not include the letters "UN" and the medal has a hanger bar with the inscription "KOREA". On the reverse side of the United Nations Service Medal Korea is the inscription "FOR SERVICE IN DEFENCE OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS".

2. Ribbons: Although the same medal is used for all the United Nations Medals, a different ribbon is authorized for each operation. The operations in which United States military personnel were awarded the medal and authorized by DOD to accept the medal are:

United Nations Service Medal Korea: Equal stripes of Bluebird 67117 and White 67101 (9 Bluebird and 8 White stripes), each 5/64 inch wide.

United Nations Observation Group in Lebanon

United Nations Truce Supervisory Organization (UNTSO) in Palestine(UNTSO Ribbon). 7/32 inch Bluebird, 3/32 inch White, > inch Bluebird; 3/32 inch White; and 7/32 inch Bluebird.

United Nations Observer Group in India and Pakistan. The ribbon has a 3/16-inch stripe of Bluebird on each side followed by a 1/64 inch White with a 31/32-inch center stripe with shades of Green (Myrtle 67190, Emerald 67128 and Bottle 67191).

United Nations Security Forces, Hollandia (United Nations Temporary Executive Authority and the UN Security Force in West New Guinea). The ribbon is Bluebird with 1/8 inch stripes each in the center of Myrtle Green (dark), White, and Mosstone Green 67127 (light).

United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). 11/32 inch Myrtle Green; 1/16 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118; 5/32 inch Bluebird; 1/16 inch Burnt Orange 67149; 1/8 inch White; 1/16 inch Burnt Orange; 5/32 inch Bluebird, 1/16 inch Ultramarine Blue; and 11/32 inch Myrtle Green.

United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC). The ribbon is 5/16 inch Bluebird, 5/32 inch Scarlet 67111; 1/32 inch Air Force Yellow; 5/32 inch Ultramarine Blue; 1/16 White; 5/32 inch Ultramarine Blue; 1/32 inch Air Force Yellow; 5/32 inch Scarlet; and 5/16 inch Bluebird.

United Nations Operations in Somalia (to include US Quick Reaction Force Members). The ribbon is 3/8 inch Jasmine 67143; 3/32 inch Irish Green 67189; 7/16 inch Bluebird; 3/32 inch Irish Green; and 3/8 inch Jasmine.

United Nations Protection Force in Yugoslavia (UNPROFOR). The ribbon is 1/8 inch Bluebird; < inch Mosstone Green; 1/8 inch Bluebird; 1/32 inch White; 5/16 inch Scarlet; 1/32 inch White; 1/8 inch Bluebird; < inch Brown 67136; and 1/8 inch Bluebird.

United Nations Iraq/Kuwait Observation Group (UNIKOM). The ribbon is 19/32 inch Jasmine; 3/16 inch Bluebird; and 19/32 inch Jasmine.

United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH). The ribbon is 5/16 inch Bluebird; 1/16 inch White; 5/16 inch Scarlet; 5/16 inch Ultramarine Blue; 1/32 inch White; and 5/16 inch Bluebird.

United Nations Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina (UNMIBH). DOD has not issued instructions authorizing wear of this UN ribbon. The ribbon is 9/32 inch Prophet Green 67187; 1/4 inch Cannes Blue 67171; 5/16 inch White; 1/4 inch Cannes Blue; and 9/32 inch Apple Red 67153.

 3. Wear Policy. Prior to 13 October 1995, all US Military personnel wore the blue and white United Nations Ribbon (UNTSO) regardless of the ribbon awarded. On 13 October 1995, the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) approved a change to the wear policy of the United Nations Medal. Effective on that date, personnel who are awarded the United Nations Medal may wear the first medal and ribbon for which they qualify. Subsequent awards of the United Nations Medal for service in a different mission will be denoted by a bronze service star. Not more than one ribbon may be worn at any time.

To be eligible to wear the UN (Haiti) medal, members must have served under the operational or tactical control of the United Nations for a minimum of 90 consecutive days. Those servicemembers must also have been under the command of a U.N. force commander while wearing the national or U.N. uniform, including the blue beret. Simply operating or working in the United Nations Mission Area (Haiti) does not qualify an individual to receive the meda.

Since U.N. medals are awarded by the secretary-general of the United Nations, they are classified as non-U.S. service medals and the eligibility determination and criteria cannot be waived by DOD.

Originally established to help implement certain provisions of the Governors Island Agreement signed by the Haitian parties on 3 July 1993. In 1993, UNMIH's mandate was to assist in modernizing the armed forces of Haiti and establishing a new police force. That mandate could not be carried out due to the non-cooperation of the Haitian military authorities. Later, the Security Council by its Resolution 940 of 31 July 1994 approved the establishment of an advance team of UNMIH to institute the appropriate means of coordination with the multinational force, to carry out the monitoring of the operations of the force, to assess requirements and to prepare for the deployment of UNMIH upon completion of the mission of the multinational force. The Mission terminated in June 1996.