A two-weeks course on Multidimensional Peace Operations (MPO) designed to equip participants with operational-level knowledge and skills in line with efforts to bolster regional peace efforts has opened at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra on Monday, January 29, 2024.
The MPO which delves into planning, coordinating, and conducting multidimensional peace operations aims to enhance the effectiveness of all personnel involved in such missions.
The course funded by the Swiss government saw 29 military, police and civilian participants made up of 19 males and 10 females from 9 African countries in attendance.
The Deputy Commandant of the KAIPTC, Air Commodore David Akrong opening the training stressed that the evolving nature of conflicts demands all actors understand the challenges and opportunities of integrated peace operations, encompassing humanitarian relief.
He also emphasized the importance for all actors to understand the complexities associated with these varied mission components, mandates, and structures from an operational perspective.
He encouraged the participants to fully engage in all aspects of the course, leveraging both the facilitators’ expertise and their own diverse backgrounds to enrich the learning experience.”
In her remarks, the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Togo and Benin, Simone Giger emphasized the multifaceted nature of today’s peacekeeping operations, extending beyond mere peace and security.
“These missions now actively facilitate political progress, safeguard civilians, support disarmament and reintegration, bolster elections, champion human rights, and assist in restoring the rule of law,” she said.
Effective multidimensional peace operations, she also highlighted require clear mandates, sufficient resources, and responsiveness to local needs, all tailored to the country’s complex realities and hoped the course would especially empower women to utilise their empathy skills as an invaluable asset in peacekeeping.