Accra: The second session of the Protection of Civilians Course for 2022 took off on Monday 10th October at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), with funding support from the Swiss Government. Thirty participants comprising 14 females and 16 males from the following 17 countries are enrolled on the course; Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana. Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Niger, c (Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, Uganda and Zambia. Component wise, they comprise 12 military personnel, 12 civilians and six (6) police officers who work AU and UN missions.
The aim of the training is to enhance the capacity of participants to effectively implement Protection of Civilian mandates in peacekeeping operations to mitigate the effects of conflicts on civilians.
In his welcome remarks, Major Francis Ofori, the Commandant of KAIPTC indicated that millions of civilian victims of violence and war are subjected to forced displacement, hostage-taking, rape, torture, extrajudicial executions, and massacres. He said that those with military supremacy sometimes resort to methods and practices that do not spare civilian populations, and often affect them indiscriminately. He added that the scenario where the official Armed Forces of a State confront non-state armed groups is still predominant, often leading to numerous and serious violations of international humanitarian law, human rights laws.
He added that, since 2000 when UN first incorporated the protection of vulnerable populations as a key objective explicitly stated in the revised mandate of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone, the global body has authorized several additional peacekeeping missions that explicitly include Protection of Civilians as a core task of the mandate.
He urged the participants to take the course seriously and take the unique opportunity to interact with the experienced facilitators for the course. He thanked the Swiss Government for providing continual funding for this and other courses, and for contributing to strengthening peace and security in Africa.
The Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Simone Giger, noted; “Switzerland is committed to the Protections of Civilians and to the respect for international humanitarian law and human rights.” Speaking on the birth of the course, she said that the International Committee of the Red Cross/ICRC met for the first time in February 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland. Among its five members was Henry Dunant who tirelessly called for improved care for wounded soldiers in wartime. This led to the foundation of the ICRC and later in 1949 to the adoption of the Geneva Conventions and its protocols. This, “Geneva spirit”, she said, has not weakened over time. The ICRC, and the Swiss goal “to ensure the dignity of detained populations, to connect separated families across borders, including the immediate need to reunite children with their families” is still very important and vibrant.
She added that the UN, AU ECOWAS and other international organizations have been strengthening their roles in addressing protection needs on the ground. Therefore, training on protection is very crucial in enhancing peacekeepers’ capacity to support the institutions to implement their mandates.
She was optimistic that the course would provide participant with the needed capacity to effectively implement the protection of civilian mandate in peacekeeping operations at the operational level, and contribute to mitigate the disastrous effects of conflicts on civilians.
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ENGLISH (Texte en français ci-desssous)
KAIPTC COVID-19 Special Guidelines for International Course Facilitators and Course Participants travelling to KAIPTC:
1. Kindly read the Ghana Government, the KAIPTC COVID-19 General and Special Guidelines for International travellers carefully and be advised accordingly (click here to read);
2. It is mandatory to upgrade your health insurance to cover expenses for possible COVID-19 quarantine and treatment.
3. The cost of the three (3) COVID-19 PCR tests up to a total of USD 450 – will be reimbursed for participants of sponsored KAIPTC courses. The tests comprise one before embarkation to Ghana, one at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and the final test prior to departing Ghana. All receipts are required for reimbursements to be made.
4. Course participants accommodated at KAIPTC are required to stay on-site during the entire duration of the course.
5. Neither the Ghana Government, the Ghana Ministry of Defence, KAIPTC, the Course Sponsor nor the organising country, can be held responsible in any way for further costs arising out of a positive COVID-19 test or a COVID-19 infection.
FRANÇAIS
KAIPTC COVID-19 Directives spéciales pour les animateurs et les participants aux cours internationaux qui se rendent au KAIPTC :
1. Veuillez lire attentivement les directives générales et spéciales du KAIPTC COVID-19 à l’intention des voyageurs internationaux et en tenir compte (cliquez ici pour lire – uniquement en anglais) ;
2. Il est obligatoire d’améliorer votre assurance santé pour couvrir les frais d’une éventuelle quarantaine et d’un traitement COVID-19.
3. Le coût des trois (3) tests PCR COVID-19 – jusqu’à un total de 450 USD – sera remboursé aux participants des cours parrainés par le KAIPTC. Les tests comprennent un test avant l’embarquement pour le Ghana, un test à l’aéroport international de Kotoka (KIA) et le test final avant le départ du Ghana. Tous les reçus sont nécessaires pour effectuer les remboursements.
4. Les participants aux cours hébergés au KAIPTC sont tenus de rester sur place pendant toute la durée du cours.
5. Ni le gouvernement du Ghana, ni le ministère de la défense du Ghana, ni le KAIPTC, ni le sponsor du cours, ni le pays organisateur ne peuvent être tenus responsables de quelque manière que ce soit des coûts supplémentaires résultant d’un test COVID-19 positif ou d’une infection COVID-19.
Please fill the following form.
KAIPTC receives ear-marked and non-earmarked funding from its development partners. In some instances, it receives technical support on specific projects and programmes. The institution welcomes additional financial and technical support from development partners. Please contact the following persons/departments:
The Director,
Policy, Planning Monitoring and Evaluation.
Email: ooc.ppmed@kaiptc.org
Le KAIPTC reçoit des fonds affectés et non affectés de ses partenaires de développement. Tout soutien financier supplémentaire des partenaires de développement est la bienvenue. Veuillez contacter les personnes ou départements suivants:
La Directrice,
Département des politiques, de la planification, du suivi et de l’évaluation
Email: ooc.ppmed@kaiptc.org