As a training Centre of Excellence and a member of the African Peace Support Trainers’ Association (APSTA), the Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre (RPTC) for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region recently hosted Corrections/Prisons Officers for training on Peace Support Operations. ACCORD/TfP trained the officers on negotiation, mediation and the role of language assistance on 16 June 2015 in Harare, Zimbabwe. This was in consultation with the African Union Peace and Security Division (AU PSOD) and in cooperation with other training centres, to build capacity for Peace Support Operations (PSOs) at the Member State, Regional Economic Community (REC)/Regional Mechanism (RM) and AU continental levels.
The training aimed to enhance participants’ understanding on negotiation and mediation and the role of language assistance within the context of a Peace Support Operations (PSOs). The training provided a platform for the SADC Corrections/Prison officers to enhance their understanding on key negotiation, mediation and peace agreement concepts; role of language in a different cultural environment; advanced techniques and approaches on negotiation and mediation. Furthermore, the participants were enabled to understand the use, value and necessity of negotiation and mediation in a peacekeeping environment. The training also provided SADC Corrections/Prison officers with fundamental knowledge, operational skills and attributes required to enable them to effectively perform their functions in the United Nations (UN), AU and SADC mandated peace missions.
A simulation role play exercise was conducted to help the participants understand and be able to apply the knowledge acquired and how to use the tools at their disposal that will assist them to effectively implement their mandate in PSOs and capably respond to situations in the field. The RPTC-SADC will further collaborate with TfP/ACCORD to conduct similar effective and efficient training in the future.
This initiative is in line with the TfP Programme’s strategic goal for improved and sustainable capacity development for peace operations on the continent, through ensuring that functional organizational systems including the training centres of excellence in Africa and RECs/RMs, are enabled and capacitated. This engagement is to ensure that personnel have received relevant and high quality training.
The Training for Peace Programme at ACCORD is an initiative funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For more information on ACCORD’s work through the TfP programme, please contact Ms Irene Limo, Senior Programme Officer, Peacekeeping Unit on Irene@accord.org.za
