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Past Events
Description
The goal of this program is to promote multinational engagement throughout countries in the Asia Pacific Region by facilitating a multinational dialogue on the nature of peace operations and by building peace operations capacities, primarily through information exchange.
Partners and Roles
1. Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (COE): Serves as the program administrator, program and content developer and supplier of subject matter experts, expert briefers and program documentation.
2. The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UNDPKO): Furnishes a modality for activities, facilitates impartial forum for open dialogue and contributes expertise.
3. Host nations: Collaborate in the design process, offer a secure and positive setting for the event and provide administrative support.
4. United States Pacific Command (USPACOM): Co-sponsors events through the Asia Pacific Regional Initiative (APRI) and supplies U.S. military representation.
Cooperative Engagement
Cooperation among organizations managing complimentary programs within the Asia-Pacific region promotes a unity of effort, improves efficiency, and reduces duplication of effort. Organizations with which COE cooperates on issues related to peace support missions and security issues include the Multinational Planning Augmentation Team, the Center for Civil-Military Relations, the Association of International Peacekeeping Training Centers, the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, the Asia Pacific Area Network and the UN Training and Evaluation Service (TES is the training arm of UNDPKO). In addition, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and other IOs and NGOs participate regularly.
Milestones
Several recent events affect the content and dialogue of the program:
1. Publication and broad dissemination of the Brahimi Report.
2. Establishment of national peacekeeping training centers, institutes or peacekeeping offices in Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, and Korea.
3. Participation by several Asian nations in the Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities (EIPC) program, executed by the Center for Civil-Military Relations.
4. Shifting of the paradigm and themes of several major bi-lateral and multinational exercises, including Cobra Gold, SAGIP, Yama Sakura, Balikatan, and Tempest Express to include peace enforcement activities.
5. Execution of the United Nations Transitional Authority for East Timor (UNTAET) Mission and the Interim Administration Mission in East Timor (UNMISET).
6. The development of standardized generic training modules for peace support operations by UN member states.
Observations
Most countries that have institutionalized their focus on peacekeeping (see Milestones #2 above) have attended a proportionately higher number of events. Their attendance coincides with increasing levels of interest to prepare their personnel, particularly their military personnel, to support peacekeeping missions.
Participants identified training as a high priority. Several countries have instituted peacekeeping training centers, participated in their neighbor’s centers, availed themselves of UN training, etc. This activity is encouraged by successful participation in UNTAET and UNMISET, and with the dissemination of the Brahimi Report and related documents.
To further their influence, nations have elected to assist in the development of training modules for use by troop contributing nations with the administrative assistance of UNDPKO TES.
Many participants believe there is a uniquely Asian and Pacific Island approach to peace keeping that may serve as models for other countries and regions. In addition, sub-regional cooperation (South Pacific Island nations, Southeast Asia, etc.) may be an efficient and effective approach.
Recommendations
1. Increase the proportion of participants from government agencies, non-governmental response organizations and civilian police;
2. Support efforts to develop exportable, integrated training packages;
3. Support political and diplomatic approaches and initiatives to “close the loop” between policy, strategic, operational and tactical levels;
4. Introduce more sophisticated methods of interaction and ways of capturing information and knowledge through applied learning technologies;
5. Integrate lessons learned from past peace operations and make them accessible through the world wide web or other means;
6. Address ways to support capacity-building efforts initiated from within countries in the region.
Resources
After Action Reports may be viewed at the Center of Excellence website (http://coe-dmha.org) or APAN (http://www.apan-info.net). Articles on events in the program series can be found in The Liaison (http://coe-dmha.org/liaison) and the Asia Pacific Defense Forum (http://www.pacom.mil/forum/forum.htm) Information on contributions to UN missions and national peacekeeping training efforts may be found at the UNDPKO and UNDPKO/TES website (http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/home.shtml, http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/training/).
Past Event links and Past Event After Action Reports
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