12. 6. 2024 | EUCTI, PR
After three and a half years, the European Union Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI) project is nearing its end. The EUCTI Secretariat, held at the Centre for European Perspective (CEP), decided to host its Final Conference on Thursday, 6 June, at BluePoint in Brussels. The Final Conference was divided into two parts: a panel discussion in the morning and a partner meeting in the afternoon. All Consortium partners attended it, as well as representatives of individual European police and gendarmerie organisations, EU stakeholders, and others interested in hearing about EUCTI and its achievements throughout the years.
The morning session of the conference was enriched by the insights shared by the esteemed panellists: Mrs Mihaela Matei from CPCC.1, Ms Anna-Karin Häggeborg from PCM.1, and Ms Tetiana Babiichuk from EUAM Ukraine. They provided a comprehensive view of the project and its connection with the EU CSDP training policy and architecture. The panellists underscored the importance of flexibility, agility, quick responsiveness, and need-based, tailor-made, and integrated approaches to training. These, they emphasized, are the key elements that equip such initiatives to effectively bridge the existing gaps. The afternoon session further delved into these insights, presenting key lessons learned and takeaways from the project in an informal and engaging manner.
The project has not only met but surpassed the objectives it set out in January 2021, a source of great joy for the whole Consortium. Partners have implemented 41 training courses and activities, among them seven workshops for members of training institutions from countries not (yet) contributing to EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions. We have trained almost 700 participants, mostly staff of civilian EU CSDP crisis management missions who were joined by personnel of other international peace support organisations, a testament to the project’s wide-reaching impact. Two working groups—the Working Group on Standardisation and Methodology and the Working Group on Evaluation—made conducting all these activities possible by creating a solid quality assurance framework.
CEP and EUCTI
Besides hosting the Secretariat (already a humongous task), CEP implemented nine training activities. Seven of them targeted personnel of EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) civilian crisis management missions: EULEX Kosovo, EUAM Ukraine, EUMM Georgia and EUM Armenia. Two of them targeted members of training institutions in Namibia and Mongolia.
Although this project is ending, CEP is continuing its activities in civilian crisis management at the European Union level and is currently preparing for a new, even bigger, and more ambitious project. Stay tuned for more soon!
3. 4. 2024 | EUCTI, POTC, PR
Kliknite tukaj za branje članka v slovenskem jeziku.
The Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC), in partnership with the European Union Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI), is excited to announce an upcoming Cultural Heritage Protection (CHP) Online Workshop, scheduled for April 25 via Zoom. This workshop is specifically designed to meet the needs of members of the EU Mission in Armenia (EUM Armenia) and European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia)—in this regard, it is a unique joint training opportunity for mission members in Armenia and Georgia.
The workshop aims to equip participants with enhanced understanding and capabilities in CHP, particularly focusing on community outreach and interpersonal communication.
This collaborative effort on the Cultural Heritage Protection Workshop reflects a commitment to meeting the evolving needs of mission members and ensuring their effectiveness in safeguarding cultural heritage.
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20. 3. 2024 | EUCTI, POTC, PR
Last week, the Gender Mainstreaming in Peace Operations and Missions training programme, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from March 11-15, 2024, came to an end. Organised by the Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC) and supported by the European Union Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI), the intensive programme aimed to enhance the effectiveness of peace missions with regard to the gender perspective.
Kliknite tukaj za branje članka v slovenskem jeziku.
20 participants from Mongolia gained valuable insights into integrating gender perspectives into peacekeeping strategies, preventing conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, and navigating international legal frameworks promoting gender equality.
The training programme concluded with a renewed commitment to building inclusive, effective, and sustainable peace efforts worldwide. Moving forward, continued investment in such initiatives is essential to ensuring that gender considerations remain at the forefront of peace operations, fostering a future of inclusive peace and security for all.
POTC would like to thank all involved: the Mongolian State personnel, EUCTI, and the trainers who helped make this training activity on the other side of the world a success.
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17. 1. 2024 | EUCTI, Peace and security, POTC, PR
From January 8 to 12, POTC facilitated its first training activity of 2024: the Training of Trainers (ToT) in Windhoek, Namibia. The end result was the enhancement of skills of 18 individuals who are or will be engaged in international crisis management, training Namibian national personnel and part of international peace operations. The Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC) organised this training in collaboration with the Namibian International Women Peace Centre (NIWPC) with the support of the European Union Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI).
Kliknite tukaj za branje članka v slovenskem jeziku.
The ToT provided a platform for participants to delve into the practical application of learning theories, enhancing their ability to conduct impactful training sessions. Over the course, attendees honed their skills in crafting engaging training sessions, engaged in reflective practices to understand their unique training styles, and improved their delivery of course materials.
The POTC team and our trainers extend sincere appreciation for the warm welcome extended by our Namibian hosts and participants. The hospitality we experienced added a unique and enriching dimension to the training, creating an atmosphere conducive to productive learning and collaboration.
The organisers anticipate the success of participants and hope for continued cooperation in various fields, contributing to global peace and security efforts, as well as the development of training options in Namibia by local trainers. POTC believes that the skills and insights gained by the participants will undoubtedly contribute to the enhanced capabilities of Namibian personnel. The organisers look forward to witnessing the positive outcomes of this collaboration, fostering a legacy of cooperation and mutual understanding between Slovenia, the European Union and Namibia.
Pictures from the ToT are available on Flickr: ToT Namibia 2024
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19. 12. 2023 | EUCTI, Peace and security, POTC, PR
In January, POTC will facilitate a Training of Trainers for the Namibia International Women’s Peace Centre (NIWPC) in Windhoek, Namibia. The aim of this cooperation is to bolster the capacities of the nascent Namibian Peace Centre in the field of peace operations.
Kliknite tukaj za branje članka v slovenskem jeziku.
The training is supported by the European Union Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI), which aims at enhancing the abilities of the deployed civilian staff in EU CSDP, OSCE, UN, AU and other crisis management missions to work in an efficient, effective and sustainable manner to implement their respective missions’ mandates.
More specifically, the cooperation between POTC and the NIWPC, together with the support of EUCTI, will focus on delivering the Training of Trainers (ToT) course. The ToT course is designed to strengthen the training skills of members of international crisis management missions and peace operations to either support them in designing and delivering the ToT courses or to equip the subject matter experts with skills, knowledge and attitudes to be more effective trainers.
The target audience of the ToT is personnel from the NIWPC, Namibian police, military and civilian structures who are involved in designing, planning, organising and delivering training programmes in their respective training structures. The course will come for first-time trainers and those with more experience. All participants will be given the chance to practice, acquire and develop new competences and/or build upon existing knowledge, skills and experience.
The training will cover the designated 7 ToT Modules (Module 1 – Being a Trainer, Module 2 – Teaching and Learning Theories, Module 3 – Techniques to Use in a Training Session, Module 4 – Managing the Training Environment and Effective Communication, Module 5 – Planning, Preparation of a Training Session, Module 6 – Delivery of a Training Session, and Module 7 – Assessing Learning and Evaluating a Training Event) as well an additional Module 8 »Mission Environment Training Specifics« which will take a holistic look at the entirety of the other modules and apply the mission environment specifics to them.
The POTC Team, together with the trainers, is looking forward to cooperating with our Namibian partners and delivering this essential training for Namibian peace operations personnel in Windhoek.
This training is supported by the European Union Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI).
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15. 9. 2023 | EUCTI, POTC, PR
Centre for European Perspective has been a member of the European and Security Colleague (ESDC) for several years but has only this week attended its first Executive Academic Board. It took place on Tuesday, 12 September and brought together members of over 70 training institutions. They discussed several important documents, including Academic Programme 2023-2024, received updates on recent activities and events of the ESDC, learned about the European Doctoral School and had an open discussion on the need for the EU Climate Security and Defence Training platform that CEP is also an active member of. As several training institutions were present residentially in Brussels, it gave the CEP director a chance to talk to stakeholders who are highly relevant to CEP’s activities in the field of civilian crisis management.
The next day brought a new meeting in a new format as Nina Cepon and Jelka Klemenc visited the Council of the European Union, Committee on Civilian Aspects of the Missions and Operations (CIVCOM), where they got an opportunity to present activities of the EU Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI) as well as the developing action proposal, which is planned to start next spring.
CEP has been an active partner of the European Training Community since 2008 and proudly took over a coordination role 2.5 years ago. As the EUCTI project is delivering planned outputs – useful need-based and tailor-made training courses in CSDP mission areas – consultations with the European Commission, CPCC and EEAS designed quite a concrete framework for the new training project. The new consortium will include not only civilian but also police and gendarmerie forces that are jointly aiming at well-prepared experts working in international operations and missions. Several have been sitting jointly around the table, discussing how to cooperate and coordinate better, how to share and pool resources, how to prioritise diverse needs and how to facilitate the EU to play the role of a global actor it aspires to.
Under the auspices of the ESDC, CEP (and in its capacity the Peace Operations Training Centre – POTC) is organising a Comprehensive Protection of Civilians training in Brussels at the beginning of October and planning to deliver Gender Equality and Gender Mainstreaming in Peace Operations and Missions training in April next year.
