The Training for Peace (TfP) programme at ACCORD participated in the Integrated Mission Planning and Mission Support (IMP & MS) Training Harmonisation and Standardisation Workshop from 29 September to 03 October 2014 at the SADC RPTC in Harare, Zimbabwe. The workshop, which was organised by the African Peace Support Trainers Association (APSTA) Secretariat, brought together about 30 Mission Planning and Mission Support Experts drawn from institutions such as the African Union Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD), Regional Economic Communities/Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), African Union Mission In Somalia (AMISOM), ACCORD, International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC), institute of security studies (ISS), Kofi Anan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC), LECIAD, NDC Nigeria, SADC RPTC, UN DPKO, UNOAU, and the APSTA Secretariat.
The Workshop provided an opportunity for APSTA to contribute towards the efforts of the AU Commission, in particular PSOD and the RECs/RMs, in harmonising and standardising the African Standby Force (ASF) and regional standby forces training.
Building on the Civilian Peacekeepers Foundation (Nairobi, Kenya, 2-5 December 2013) and the Police Pre-Deployment (Accra, 6-9 May 2014) Training Harmonisation and Standardisation Workshops, the workshop was developed in cognisance that the ASF training for the respective components has seen improvements over the years. However, as noted in the ASF Roadmap III (December 2010) that covered the period 2010-2015, specific areas of the ASF architecture, including structures and management capabilities, political decision-making and mission planning processes and logistics, among others, still need enhancing. Particularly, the 2012 Report of ASF Assessment indicated that ‘Mission Support is the least-developed dimension of the ASF with dire implications for the Full Operational Capacity (FOC) of the ASF by 2015. To achieve FOC by 2015, a concerted effort is required to address the gaps in the development of ASF. Thus, it becomes imperative to engage in a harmonised and standardised training on the two inter-related aspects of Mission Planning and Mission Support to alleviate the weaknesses in the ASF architecture.
Having conducted a comprehensive ASF Training Needs Analysis (TNA) in 2013, the APSTA organised the training workshop to Standardise and harmonise [training] courses for ASF and African-led PSOs. The workshop aided the participants to harmonise doctrines, Standard Operating Procedures and training programs for PSOs. The workshop enabled participants to review, revise and update existing materials relating to Integrated Mission Planning and Mission Support training to ensure that the AU ASF doctrine is consistent with UN peacekeeping doctrine to guarantee an effective exit strategy for the transfer of AU-mandate deployments to UN missions.
The workshop also sought to device measures to promote the use of training centres to deliver ASF trainings using a standardised ASF training curriculum to ensure the coordinated development, employment and deployment of trained personnel.
As an active member of APSTA, the workshop provided ACCORD with the opportunity to contribute to the development of African peace and security initiatives on the continent through the harmonisation of training standards.
The TfP Programme at ACCORD is an initiative funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
