Considering that the Protection of Civilians is a key underpinning principle of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), creating an Aide-Mémoire as a guide to all PoC actors on the continent, including peacekeepers and humanitarian actors responding to the protection needs of civilians, is an important step. The Aide-Mémoire will provide guidance on how to address those challenges affecting vulnerable groups such as women and children caught up in armed conflicts as well as in post-conflict situations.
The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), in partnership with The African Union (AU) and the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), organised a three-day workshop on the development of an AU comprehensive protection of civilians (PoC) training standards framework and a strategy for the dissemination and utilisation of the AU PoC Aide-Mémoire from 15-17 February 2016, in Nairobi, Kenya.
The workshop’s objectives were to develop a Comprehensive PoC Training Standards framework and a strategy for the dissemination and utilisation of an Aide-Mémoire to the PoC stakeholders.
The workshop was attended by PoC actors and partners such as: the Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD), AU Commission; the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU); the United Nations Women (UN WOMEN); the African Training Centres and Institutions; the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS); the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI); the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF); the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD); the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM); the African Peace Support Trainers’ Association (APSTA); the SADC PLANELM Civilian Component, the SADC Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre (RPTC) and the International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC) amongst others. The participants discussed the importance of protecting vulnerable civilians during peace support operations (PSOs); the engagement of PoC regional and continental actors; mainstreaming of PoC mandates in PSOs; the dissemination strategies for the AU PoC Aide-Mémoire; and the methodology for the development of a Comprehensive PoC Training Standards framework.
The participants also agreed on the need to conduct a workshop to validate the PoC Training Standards.
The Training for Peace Programme at ACCORD is an initiative funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
