11. 12. 2020 | POTC, PR, Security
Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a major global crisis. Consequently, it has led to a number of restrictive measures in an effort to tackle the virus and accordingly, it affected international missions and operations worldwide.
This brought about a number of unprecedented challenges in the field of military mobility.
The Military Mobility Workshop, which took place in a virtual manner on 10th of December 2020, was kicked off by a welcome address and introductory remarks by Mr Valter Vrečar, M.Sc, Acting Director-General of the Defence Affairs Directorate, Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia and Colonel Anže Rode, Deputy Chief of Staff for Support, Slovenian Armed Forces. They both emphasized the importance of cooperation and coordination, also through workshops like this.
In the morning session, representatives of eight countries held presentations on experiences, lessons learned, legal limitations and possible improvements of an existing international framework. In the afternoon session participants were put in two syndicate groups in which specific topics built around military mobility in case of COVID-19 were discussed. On the basis of the outcomes, a set of recommendations were drafted, finalized and shared by the Republic of Slovenia that is currently presiding the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC).
The workshop was used as a platform for an exchange of lessons learned, views and ideas on improving military mobility in a situation of the evacuation of military and civilian personnel from missions and operations in the event of a COVID-19 infection. Its aim was to better address shortfalls and gaps of national and international policies, procedures and practices in the field of the military mobility with particular focus on national operational aspects and decision-making processes referring to legal, administrative and procedural constraints.
The workshop was co-organized by Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia and the Centre for European Perspective in the framework of the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC).
27. 11. 2020 | POTC, PR, Security
This year marks the 20th anniversary of adopting the historic UN Security Council Resolution on Women, Peace and Security (1325), and the 25th anniversary of adopting the Beijing Declaration on Gender Equality. These two documents, together with other UN Security Council resolutions, form the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda.
Commemorating both achievements, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia together with the Slovenian Peacekeeping Operations Training Centre (POTC) organized a virtual international conference “Women, Peace and Security” in the format of the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC) Initiative with the additional participation of representatives from the Western Balkan countries and Luxembourg on 26 November 2020.
The introductory speech was given by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Uroš Lampret, and Ms. Katja Geršak, CEP/POTC Executive Director. Ms. Christine Löw, director of the UN Women Liaison Office Geneva, as the keynote speaker reflected on the milestones and setbacks in the past years. She emphasized the importance of women’s equal and meaningful participation in peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding. The UN needs to aim towards making women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation a requirement in all mediation teams, political transitions, and the peace processes it leads or co-leads.
According to the reports of the countries, significant progress has been made in on gender mainstreaming in the area of peace and security, which is the result of raising public awareness of women’s equal participation, gender mainstreaming in various policies, increasing women’s involvement in international operations and missions, and preventing sexual violence against women and girls. The constant growth of the percentage of females serving in the national defense forces and their increased participation in international missions and operations has been highlighted throughout the conference. Today women perform a wide range of duties in the armed forces from leadership and command duties through staff duties to various specialist duties. It is important to raise public awareness, that military does not belong exclusively to men and that performance of female soldiers is as professional as one of their male colleagues. Throughout these years countries integrated the WPS Agenda into various lectures within their military education and training systems. Nowadays, we can expect women’s rights to be a part of military school curriculums, pre-deployment courses, and other specialized courses. In connection with the increased educational activities in that field, the need for translation of relevant gender perspective materials into countries’ native languages, has also increased in the past years.
The conference was a great opportunity to analyze, revise, and reflect on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and the activities accomplished in that field over the past years. A collection of introductory speeches, contributions of participants, and conclusions of the conference will be published in a form of a compendium in the next weeks.
25. 11. 2020 | POTC, PR, Security
Peace Operations Training Centre has proudly implemented its first training, jointly supported by the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia. Several other experts have joined training that gathered twenty participants of different backgrounds. Due to the global situation, it was implemented fully online.
The training was organized as an opportunity to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1325 United Nations Security Council resolution on women, peace and security and the Beijing Declaration that was adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. Participants have discussed the content and importance of the international documents that frame the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. Additional emphasis was put on understanding the difference between sex and gender and the importance of including women as representatives of half of humanity in all aspects of life. It was pointed out that when women are involved in decision-making, in research, in knowledge production, women do not get forgotten. Female lives and perspectives are brought out of the shadows. This is to benefit of women everywhere, and often, to the benefit of humanity as a whole.
With research, it was proven that the inclusion of women in peace deals and daily mission’ life brings only positive results. The process of women at the negotiating table not only makes it more likely that an agreement will be reached, it also makes it more likely that peace will last. Women frequently bring in issues to the peace-building agenda that male elites tend to overlook: inclusivity and accessibility of processes and institutions and the importance of local and informal spheres. Participants discussed how gender mainstreaming is settled in the EU CSDP missions and in different other international operations.
At the end several experts were invited to share their experiences from the international missions and operations of the EU, NATO, OSCE, and UN from Afghanistan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Lebanon, Palestine, South Sudan, and Ukraine. Participants have discussed how they can use their good practices of gender mainstreaming in their daily work (current and potentially in the mission abroad).
31. 10. 2020 | POTC, PR, Security
First training of Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC)
Gender equality and gender mainstreaming in peace operations and missions
Peacekeeping Operations Training Centre that is operating within CEP is happy to announce its first training dedicated to an important cross-cutting topic that was identified as a need by all three founding ministries – Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia – Gender equality and gender mainstreaming in peace operations and missions. Training is primarily organized as an opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1325 United Nations Security Council Resolution on Women, Peace and Security and 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration that was adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995.
Pilot POTC training will be organized for experts who want to join international peace operation or mission, primarily for public servants from ministries of defence, internal and foreign affairs. Training is currently planned to be organized in a hybrid manner – with some participants and trainers present at POTC premises, while others will be welcome to join training digitally. Some trainers from abroad will join us digitally as well. All measures and suggestions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 will be strictly respected.
Training on Gender equality and gender mainstreaming in peace operations and missions will be organized on 24 – 25 November 2020 and will conclude on 26 November with the regional expert meeting. The main objective of the meeting is to share best practices and to hear how 13 countries in the region are implementing the principles of the UN SC 1325 resolution and Beijing declaration into their defence policies.
Anyone interested in the training is welcome to join the training online.
For more information please turn to POTC contact point: [email protected] who will share the programme and more details.
26. 11. 2019 | LET4CAP, PR, Security
The final event of the Project LET4CAP – Law Enforcement Training For Capacity Building will be held on 5th December 2019 in Brussels, at the NH BLOOM hotel, from 09:00 to 13:00 hrs.
The meeting is open to all relevant interested institutions involved in activities related to law enforcement capacity building in third countries, in mentoring and advising host country counterparts in processes of reform and rebuilding institutions.
LET4CAP is a project funded by DG HOME (Migration and Internal Affairs) of the European Commission (HOME/2015/ISFP/AG/LETX/8753) entrusted to a consortium led by CoESPU – Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units of the Arma dei Carabinieri, based in Vicenza, in partnership with Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa (SSSA), Studiare Sviluppo (in-house agency of the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance), CEP – Centre for European Perspective, a think-tank based in Menges, Slovenia, and the Polish National Police (Policja).
The main objective of the project is to contribute to the development and harmonization of a training package for police forces engaged in training activities abroad, given the need to increase national capacities in the area of transfer of sector-specific expertise and to promote uniform law enforcement in third countries according to a common European approach.
The primary beneficiaries of the project are represented by the members of EU Law Enforcement Agencies engaged in third countries to carry out training tasks in a bilateral and multilateral contexts, but also by those public officials involved in institution-building activities abroad in the law enforcement sector.
Within the project, which started in November 2016 and is nearing completion, the following results were achieved:
- 5 training courses in three different countries (Italy, Poland and Slovenia), for about 125 trainees from EU countries, candidate countries and countries linked by partnership agreements;
- Compendium of policy guidance, standards, good practices and lessons learned
- Inventory of existing training curricula and course
- Syllabus for a Law enforcement capacity building training course
- Virtual learning platform
- Downloadable country booklets
- Face-to-face training courses
- Finalised training curriculum and related materials (based on course evaluation reports)
- Distance learning training course
Further information is available on the LET4CAP project’s website.
Project funded by the Internal Security Fund of the European Union (HOME/2015/ISFP/AG/LETX/8753)
18. 2. 2019 | LET4CAP, PR, Security
Centre for European Perspective is between 18th and 22nd of February 2019 evaluating fourth “Mentoring, Monitoring & Advising (MMA)” course, held in Vicenza, Italy. Evaluations are held in order to improve the course agenda and overall development of the project. Participants will through the course of five days focus on EU diplomatic security/crisis management; general aspects and phases of Mentoring, Monitoring and Advising; designing and planning interventions for capacity building: project management methodologies; Communication in a cross-cultural context; negotiation skills; Coping with resistance & identifying viable approaches to capacity building; working with interpreters; Handover & Reporting.
LET4CAP is a project funded by the EU within the framework of the Internal Security Fund with the objective to foster a process of harmonization of training for Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) to perform capacity building tasks in third countries and to create a common Law Enforcement capacity building culture founded on EU fundamental values.
The Project is implemented by a consortium that includes two law enforcement agencies (the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units of the Italian Carabinieri and the Polish Police), two centers of excellence in research and training, namely the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (Italy) and the Centre for European Perspective (Slovenia) and one Italian governmental agency specialised in project management of EU funds (Studiare Sviluppo).
The training programme is based upon a preliminary desk research, good practices and lessons learnt in the field of the existing law enforcement capacity building. All training materials will be consolidated after the last training courses in e-learning tools disseminated via institutional channels and the project website.
More info on the project is available at: http://www.let4cap.eu/
