From 2 to 13 February, the United Nations Office to the African Union led the facilitation of a Comprehensive Protection of Civilians course held in Nairobi, Kenya.
The training was organized in collaboration with the African Union Compliance and Accountability Team, the International Peace Support Training Centre, the British Peace Support Team Africa and the Slovenia Peacekeeping Training Centre. It aimed to strengthen the capacity of military, police and civilian personnel to assess, plan and implement protection of civilians mandates in African Union and United Nations peace operations.
Participants were introduced to the legal, conceptual and operational frameworks guiding the protection of civilians in armed conflict, as well as the practical challenges associated with implementing protection mandates in complex operational environments.
The course brought together 30 participants from 21 countries, including middle and senior level personnel currently deployed or preparing for deployment to peace support operations. The training also aimed to enhance participants’ ability to contribute to the operational effectiveness of the African Standby Force.
UNOAU’s facilitation of the course supports ongoing efforts to strengthen civilian protection within African led peace support operations and reinforces the UN AU partnership in advancing effective and accountable peace operations.
