Training dates: 8–10 June 2026

Training location: Barsey by Warwick, Brussels, Belgium

Participants: field practitioners from 11 CSDP civilian missions and 5 CSDP military missions, alongside representatives from EEAS Headquarters (CivOpsHQ, MPCC, EUMS, PCMD, and EPF).

Background and Core Objectives

The 2022 Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, alongside the 2023 Civilian CSDP Compact, strongly reinforces the European Union’s commitment to systematically mainstreaming human rights and ensuring strict compliance with International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Following the adoption of the EU Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Due Diligence Policy (EU HRDDP) in February 2024 and the issuance of its Implementation Handbook in June 2025, the European External Action Service (EEAS) requested renewed support to operationalize these guidelines in the field.

To address high staff turnover and policy implementation challenges identified in recent mission assessment reports, this 3-day training activity was organized by the Egmont Institute in the scope of EUTI.

The program was designed as a direct, highly practical follow-up to the March 2026 training on “Mainstreaming Human Rights into Civilian CSDP Crisis Management Missions” conducted by Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA). It focused on the following core objectives:

• Operationalizing the HRDDP: Translating the policy framework into concrete, field-level practices across the core phases of risk management: Identification, Assessment, Mitigation, and Monitoring.
• Civilian-Military Synergy: Promoting a balanced framework for both civilian and military CSDP missions, as well as European Peace Facility (EPF) personnel, handling both lethal and non-lethal assistance.
• Risk Mitigation Mastery: Equipping key advisors and operations officers to manage critical risks, particularly regarding Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), violations of children’s rights, and the “do no harm” principle when engaging with civil society organizations (CSOs).

On the first day, participants benefited from the shared knowledge and diverse perspectives of senior experts from prominent international institutions, including OHCHR, EEAS, DCAF, the Belgian Royal Military Academy, ICRC, and OSRSG CAAC.

From 19 to 22 May 2026 in Pristina, Kosovo, the Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF), under the auspices of EUTI – European Union Training Initiative, successfully conducted “Team & Conflict Management in Peace Operations – Working in and Leading Multicultural Teams” training for select members of EULEX Mission in Pristina, Kosovo. The intensive program was designed to strengthen internal collaboration and leadership within civilian crisis management.

Training dates: 19–22 May 2026

Training location: EULEX Mission in Pristina, Kosovo

Participants: 11 mid-level managers and team leaders with supervisory or coordination responsibilities within EULEX Kosovo.

Background and core objectives

A mission’s working performance and ability to deliver on its mandate depends entirely on the ability of its members to collaborate trustfully and effectively. Civilian crisis management missions, such as EULEX Kosovo, operate within complex environments characterized by high workloads, stress, diverse multidisciplinary teams, complex reporting structures, and time pressure. Within this high-pressure context, interpersonal tensions and conflicts are inevitable, and if left unaddressed, they can negatively affect trust, team performance, and overall mission outcomes.

To address these challenges, this course actively developed effective teamwork by enabling mission staff—especially at the mid-management level—to constructively manage interpersonal conflicts, strengthen trust, and build cohesive, motivated teams. The program focused on the following core premises and objectives:

• Navigating Team Dynamics: Equiping mid-level managers to play a key role in shaping team dynamics, establishing psychological safety, and building trust.
• Harnessing Conflict Productively: Treating conflict as an inherent, potentially constructive aspect of teamwork that can be resolved timely to leverage diverse perspectives and individual strengths.
• Adaptive Leadership: Developing adaptive, culturally sensitive, and emotionally intelligent leadership approaches to successfully guide highly diverse, multicultural teams.
• Practical Application: Combining conceptual inputs with an experiential learning approach directly tailored to the operational realities of EULEX.