From 23 to 25 March 2026 in Pisa, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, under the auspices of EUTI – European Union Training Initiative, held the Training of Trainers (ToT) for Human Rights Advisors (HRA): Mainstreaming Human Rights into Civilian Crisis Management Missions’ Internal and External Activities: using a HRBA approach.

The program brought together nine Human Rights Advisors (HRAs) from civilian CSDP missions, along with one Brussels-based capacity. The initiative directly addressed a critical need: bridging the gap between high-level policy and the practical application of human rights standards on the ground. The primary goal of the training was to equip HRAs to act as the primary trainers within their respective missions.

While substantial progress has been made in policy development of human right standards, a significant gap remains in the practical application of these standards.To bridge this gap, the course enhanced participants’ competencies in presenting complex human rights concepts, facilitating learning, and guiding mission members in applying a human rights-based approach to programming. The curriculum moved beyond theoretical definitions, focusing on the HOW of human rights mainstreaming through practical exercises, including situational analysis, elaborating Theories of Change, and designing monitoring frameworks.

As a result of the training, Human Rights Advisors can now more effectively design and deliver mission‑specific activities that strengthen the integration of human rights across all operational areas. The “agile package” they received—containing tailored tools and documents based on the course materials—enhances their ability to translate human rights guidelines into practical actions and train other mission members.

This improved capacity enables HRAs to more confidently implement the 2021 Civilian Operations Commander Operational Guidelines on Human Rights Mainstreaming and Human Rights Due Diligence, ensuring that mission personnel are better equipped to identify, prevent, and address human rights risks. Ultimately, this elevates the mission’s overall performance by embedding consistent, informed, and proactive human rights practices in daily operations.

Over the last two days (3 and 4 March 2026), the EUTI (European Union Training Initiative) consortium held its partner meeting at Jable Castle in Slovenia. The event brought together 32 representatives from 14 partner organizations to map out the best possible path forward for the project.

The primary goal of the gathering was to ensure the consortium can fulfill its mission as effectively as possible: equipping civilian experts with the skills to navigate complex environments and strengthening the EU’s role as a proactive leader in global peace and security.

The meeting served as a vital space for Europe’s top training institutions to pool their knowledge. Key discussions focused on analyzing the current training requirements of civilian missions on the ground, exploring the benefits of new technologies and how to effectively integrate AI into the training sector as well as reaffirming that specialized training is not just a “bonus” for mission members, but a fundamental requirement for the success and safety of international missions.

The EUTI consortium is walking away with a clear roadmap of ideas that will be implemented throughout the next phases of the project, ensuring we continue to deliver high-quality, standardized training across Europe.