APSTA held its 17th Board and General Meeting

The African Peace Support Trainers Association (APSTA) held its first in-person Board and General Meeting, since COVID-19, in Yaounde, Cameroon from 29-30 January 2025. The meeting included Member Institutes (MIs) from AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), Training Centers of Excellence/Training Institutes (TCEs/TIs) and NGOs, to facilitate the exchange of best practices and provide capacity development support, thereby enhancing the impact of peace operations’ initiatives in Africa.

The 17^th Board meeting, consisting of the Board MIs, convened and met on 30 January 2025 and considered issues emanating from the previous Board Meeting and current issues. The matters discussed mostly focused on the APSTA strategy and work-plan for 2025, including the continuation of programmes that aim at the revival of the association’s activities administratively, financially and operationally. Following substantive discussions, the board agreed that, APSTA would maintain its current board members, with the inclusion of new board members: Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA), International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC), Institute for Security Studies (ISS). The board also agreed that APSTA would include new member institutes: Tanzania Peacekeeping Training Centre (TPTC), Mashariki Research and Policy Centre (MRPC), Ecole Supérieure Internationale de Guerre (ESIG), International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC), Ecole de Formation aux Operations de Maintien de la Paix (EFOMP).

The delegation engaged on the need for APSTA to align its work-plans with the newly published ASF Training Directives (2024-2026). The meeting also allowed for further discussions on the current AU Peace Support Operations (PSOs) and its complexities.

Engagement in peace operations capacity enhancement activities aligns with the strategic goal of the ACCORD/TfP Programme, which supports efforts to strengthen the capabilities of the AUC, RECs/RMs, and member states in planning, managing, and implementing PSOs across the continent. The support is provided through the enhancement of the African Standby Force (ASF) operational capacities and capability to ensure effective functioning of organizational systems in the AU, RECs/RMs, TCEs/TIs, member states and mission structures, particularly for the civilian component.

ACCORD remains committed to supporting concerted efforts towards enhancing African peace and security.