From 20 to 24 May, UNOAU, in collaboration with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) developed and delivered the African Standby Force Civilian Foundation Course in Accra, Ghana.

The Civilian Foundation Course is a mandatory course designed to expose civilian experts to conceptual and institutional frameworks of African Union (AU) multi-dimensional peace support operations. The course was attended by civilian personnel enrolled in the African Standby Capacity roster who are preparing for deployment to AU mandated and authorized missions. The participants were fully equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills required to deploy into AU peace support operations.

Facilitators were subject matter experts from the AU, ECOWAS, UNOAU and the Ghana Armed Forces. The Head of Peace Support Operations Division of ECOWAS, Dr Adamu Sani indicated that ECOWAS will shortly be developing a Protection of Civilian Policy to guide ECOWAS peace support operations.