GPOI Provides Valuable Education to United Nations Staff Officers - Defense Security Cooperation University

CCMR recently kicked off its two-week United Nations Staff Officers Course (UNSOC) in Hanoi, Vietnam. Held 4-20 June, the course provides individuals from the region with valuable advanced education on the roles and responsibilities of United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Senior Lieutenant General Pham Ngoc Minh, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Army of Vietnam; D. Bilegdorj, Mongolian Ambassador to Vietnam; Saranya Dissanayke, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Vietnam; and other high-level officials joined CCMR’s Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) program for the opening ceremony at the newly-constructed Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre in Hanoi. Thirty individuals were in attendance, with representation from Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Designed specifically for staff officers and civilian equivalents, the objective of the course is to better prepare participants for future roles in UN multinational and sector headquarters or within national contingents to conduct peacekeeping operations. Individuals are encouraged to share their relevant on-the-ground experiences, facilitating an informative cultural exchange that will strengthen relationships between the participant countries.

The UN Staff Officers Course is offered upon request at CCMR headquarters in Monterey, California, as well as through Mobile Engagement teams in host countries. The course is certified by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations Integrated Training Service (ITS), and has been a cornerstone of CCMR’s GPOI program for over ten years.