UNTAG was established to ensure the early independence of Namibia through free and fair elections under the supervision and control of the United Nations. The Mission was established April 1989 with a mandate for one year and finally closed in March 1990.
The centre of the UNTAG ribbon contains five equal stripes in black, yellow, red, green and royal blue, the colours of the five Olympic Rings and representing the five continental regions of the world, all of which were represented in either the military or civilian police components of UNTAG. The centre is flanked by equal bars of a buff or sand colour to represent the Kalahari and Namib deserts with equal bands of UN blue appearing at each end. Qualifying service for the medal is 90 days. The following countries provided troops or Military Observers to this Mission: Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Poland, Senegal, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Yugoslavia. The following countries provided civilian police: Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Fiji, FRG, GDR, Ghana, Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Singapore, Sweden and Tunisia.
