Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), in collaboration with its Women Peace and Security Institute (WPSI), and funded by Canada, under the auspices of Elsie Initiative Program for Women in Peace Operations, has commenced the first phase of the three weeks United Nations Staff Officer Course (UNSOC), under the ongoing project “Enhancing Ghana Armed Forces Capabilities to Address Barriers to Women in Peacekeeping”.
The 3-week residential UNSOC, which commenced at the West African Training Centre of Excellence (TCE), Teshie, on Monday, 14 August 2023, seeks to equip prospective Staff Officers nominated to deploy in UN and regional peace operations missions with the requisite knowledge, skills and techniques, and to enable them discharge their duties and responsibilities effectively and efficiently in the field.
The Deputy Commandant, KAIPTC – Air Commodore (A/Cdre) George Arko-Dadzie, who was the Guest of Honour for the opening ceremony, said the course is intended to enhance capacity of participants with varying backgrounds, and equip them to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the rule of law, accountability and transparency, whenever called upon to participate in peace operations.
The Deputy Commandant further said the main focus is to offer a shared understanding of the basic principles, guidelines and policies on UN peacekeeping, to guide personnel as they carry out critical tasks, to assist countries in transition from conflict to peace.
He went on to say that the course also aims at developing a robust pool of trained Officers of Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) who can function as Staff Officers in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), and UN field missions, with a view to contributing to Ghana’s peacekeeping efforts across the Globe. It is also to enlarge the pool of trained potential of mainly female Officers in GAF for deployment as and when necessary.
He furthered that the African continent is still battling with a number of armed conflicts, which are hindering its peace, democracy and development, and to make peacekeeping missions – which are the key instruments used in dealing with these inter and intra state conflicts – successful, an efficient mission headquarters with sound structures and procedures, as well as professional Military, Police and Civilian staff are paramount.
He said, through the UN, regional and sub-regional organizations, peace operations are currently the international community’s primary tool for political crisis intervention, conflict resolution and management, and therefore, training of personnel for the UN mission headquarters is key for successful peace operations presently and for the future.
The course is structured as a collaborative problem-based learning program and its delivery will involve lectures, in-class discussions, and will culminate in a final table top exercise to highlight the key competencies expected to have been acquired during the learning period, and will expose the military participants, to the leadership challenges likely to be faced by Commanders and Staff Officers in peace operation theatres.
Present at the opening program were the Director General, International Peace Support Operations – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Winfred Dzandu-Hedidor; Director, Training at KAIPTC – Colonel (Col) Anorph Akanbong, the Counsellor – Political and Public Affairs at the Canadian Embassy – Ms Grace Lee, Elsie Initiative Liaison Officer at the Canadian Embassy – Ms Bertha Desmennu, Course Chief Facilitator – Brig Gen BF Kusi, and Course Director – Col Emmanuel Sampson.
