GPOI Concludes Course Emphasizing the Protection of Civilians in UN Peacekeeping Operations - Defense Security Cooperation University

With violence increasing around the globe, protecting civilians has become the cornerstone of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mandates. In support of that mission, CCMR’s Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) program delivers a course entitled “UN Protection of Civilians – Train the Trainer,” which is specifically designed to address issues faced by civilians in areas of conflict.

The most recent iteration of this course took place at the Malaysian Peacekeeping Center (MPC) in Port Dickson, Malaysia from 11-15 September 2017. It brought together around 20 participants from countries in Southeast Asia to learn lessons from seasoned experts in the field, share experiences/best practices related to the protection of civilians, and contribute to scenario-based training exercises in peacekeeping operations (PKO).

For five days, the group used the backdrop of the Malaysian Peacekeeping Center to 1) work towards establishing a common understanding of what “protection” means in UN peacekeeping, 2) explore UN institutional standards and expectations with regards to the protection of civilians, and 3) promote a better understanding of the challenges and dilemmas associated with preventing and responding to sexual violence.

This course is unique, as the “students” are also PKO instructors in their home countries. The content furnished by CCMR/GPOI experts is ultimately intended to serve as a resource for participants to construct a more unified, practical, and effective in-country training plan for contingents at national training centers nestled across region—hence “Train the Trainer.”

Similar content that works to train present and future PKO instructors in the protection of civilians has been offered nearly 15 times in the past two years by CCMR programs, where participants from as many as many as 20 countries have been served.