TfP/ACCORD participated in an African Union (AU) – European Union (EU) Training Needs and Capabilities Workshop held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 5 and 6 March 2009. The purpose of the workshop was to deliberate on the preliminary findings of an AU–EU joint expert study undertaken to identify African training capabilities and needs.
A further objective of the Workshop was to map out existing support programmes to African training centres and to identify gaps in terms of support to specialist areas. The workshop took note of the fact that many positive developments have been made with regard to the development of the civilian dimension of the African Standby Force (ASF), including, for instance, the establishment of a policy framework; an implementation plan for the operationalisation of the civilian dimension; and work towards determining the staffing; training; rostering and recruitment needs of the civilian dimension. It was however recognised that a lot of work still needs to be done in terms of the institutional development and streamlining of standardising of training for ASF civilians.
Members of the African Peace Support Trainers Association (APSTA), present at the meeting, agreed upon the need to hold follow up meetings and consultations amongst the wider APSTA body to deliberate upon the support offered by the European Group on Training (EGT). APSTA also recognised the need to jointly respond to the supply driven response to capacity building that was inherent in the European offers of support and agreed to place this aspect as one of the core areas for discussion at a planned APSTA Technical Committee Meeting scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 17 April 2010.
For further information on the course, please contact Ms. Yvonne Kasumba on yvonne@accord.org.za.
