Kofi Ampeah Woode
The second phase of the United Nations Staff Officer Course (UNSOC), which is funded by Canada under the auspices of Elsie Initiative Program for Women in Peace Operations, has opened at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC).
The three (3) week training program which forms part of an ongoing project dubbed “Enhancing Ghana Armed Forces Capabilities to Address Barriers to Women in Peacekeeping”, commenced on Monday 13 November 2023, at the West African Training Centre of Excellence (TCE), with 30 participants comprised of 6 males and 24 female Officers, drawn from the three Services of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
Speaking to formerly open the training program, the Deputy Commandant, KAIPTC – Air Commodore (A/Cdre) David Akrong said, through the United Nations (UN), regional and sub-regional organizations, peace operations are currently the international community’s primary tool for political crisis intervention, conflict resolution and management.
The Deputy Commandant said the 3-week residential programme seeks to equip prospective Staff Officers nominated to deploy in UN and regional peace operations missions, with the requisite knowledge, skills and techniques to enable them discharge their duties and responsibilities effectively and efficiently in the field.
The main focus, he continued, 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, and to 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.
A/Cdre continued that the African continent is still battling with a number of armed conflicts, which are hindering peace, democracy and development, and that key instruments used in dealing with inter and intra state conflicts are peacekeeping missions, which he said, would be successful with efficient mission headquarters, sound structures, procedures and military professionalism.
UNSOC is aimed at developing a robust pool of trained officers of the Ghana Armed Forces who can function as staff officers in Economic Community of West African States, African Union, and UN field missions with a view to contributing to Ghana’s peacekeeping efforts across the Globe.
The course, which is organized in collaboration with KAIPTC’s Women Youth Peace and Security Institute (WYPSI), will culminate in a final table top exercise, to highlight the key competencies expected of the participants, to enlarge the pool of trained potential of mainly female officers in GAF, for deployment as and when necessary.
Also present at the opening were the Training Director, KAIPTC – Colonel (Col) Barnabas Anorph Akanbong; Course Director – Col Emmanuel Sampson, and Course Facilitators.
