Call for Applications: Protection of Civilians Course (POC) 2021

Peace and Security Studies

Course Duration: 11 - 22 October 2021 (two weeks)
Application Date: - Aug 20, 2021
Course Fee:
  • All expenses are covered by the KAIPTC. The course is fully sponsored by the Swiss Government.
  • Tuition, air travel from and to the nearest international airport, visa fees, COVID tests, food and accommodation will be provided by the KAIPTC.
  • However, participants will have to bear the cost for their private travel and health insurance.
    • Terms and Conditions:
  • IMPORTANT NOTE: International participants will only be invited to the course if the pandemic situation allows international travel without major restrictions and safety concerns. The decision on whether to hold the course internationally will be communicated no later than 10 September 2021.
  • The course is conducted in English. There will be no interpretation in other languages.
  • As part of the COVID-19 measures by the KAIPTC, all participants are to travel with a travel medical insurance covering COVID-19 treatment, and must be valid for additional two weeks after course end date. COVID-guidelines of the centre must be strictly followed. The KAIPTC and the Swiss Government do NOT accept any responsibility for medical treatment and travel or other insurance.
    • How to Apply

    In short
    Course Date/Duration 11 – 22 October 2021 (two weeks)
    Course Capacity 24 participants
    Target Group Civilian, Police and Military personnel (see details below)
    Course Language English
    Application Deadline 20 August 2021

    Background

    The changing nature of armed conflicts has resulted in an increased civilian-combatant interface, to the extent that contemporary conflicts have been referred to as ‘wars among the people’. Civilian populations bear the greatest brunt of today’s complex and intractable conflicts. This changing nature of conflicts has necessitated both doctrinal and operational shifts in peace operations.

    Protection of Civilians has increasingly become an integral component of contemporary peace operations. Emerging international support to the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ norm notwithstanding, peacekeepers and other actors involved in peace support operations are often not adequately prepared or trained to deal with the daunting task of protecting civilians.

    Course Aim

    The aim of the POC course is to enhance the capacity of participants for the effective implementation of POC mandates in Peace Operations, in order to mitigate the effects of conflicts on civilians.

    The course is certified by United Nations Department for Peace Operations.

    Target Group

    The target group mainly includes military, police and civilian personnel who are currently deployed or could be deployed in UN, AU or ECOWAS peace operations at operational level. (For military officers: Maj, Lt Col, Col or equivalent; for police officers: ASP to CSUPT or equivalent; for civilian staff: P3 to P5, or equivalent).

    • UN/AU/RECs Staff
    • Mission personnel
    • Military & Police personnel
    • Humanitarian Actors
    • Government officials
    • Non-Governmental Organizations
    • Civil Society Organizations

     

    We strive for a balanced representation of genders, nationalities, missions and components.

    Objectives

    On completion of this course, participants will:

    • Know the key concepts of protection of civilians (POC), child protection (CP), and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Peace Operations.
    • Understand the role of different protection actors.
    • Understand the relevance of the core legal concepts and norms supporting POC.
    • Identify POC strategies at all level and understand the process of planning at the tactical level.
    • Know how to translate conceptual and legal frameworks of POC into appropriate action at the tactical level.

    Course Content

    The POC course combines theoretical and practical sessions on the following modules:

    • Introduction to POC
    • UN and AU Approaches to POC
    • Legal Framework of POC
    • POC and its Interlinkages to SSR, R2P and Terrorism
    • Gender and POC
    • Decision Making and Planning
    • POC in Practice (incl. Exercise “CARANA”)

     

    Teaching Method

    The course will be delivered through a combination of lectures, case studies, small group works and exercises. The “Collaborative Problem-Based Learning Approach” will be used in the delivery of the course: participants will play an active role under the guidance of an experienced team of facilitators.

    How to Apply

    Interested applicants are requested to kindly fill and submit an online application form.
    Access the application by pressing the “How to Apply” button.

    The course usually attracts a lot of interest. A selection committee decides on the final admission to the course latest by 10 September 2021.

    Contact at KAIPTC

    For course content issues
    Marc Wettstein
    Lt Col,     Swiss Armed Forces
    Course Director POC

    Office: +233 (0) 302 71 82 00 Ext. 1315
    Cell: +233 (0) 549 46 68 44

    Email: marc.wettstein@kaiptc.org