UN’s Standing Police Capacity starts training in UK ahead of first deployment

Two weeks of intensive training in project-management, team-building, transitional justice and other aspects of peacekeeping started today for officers of the United Nations Standing Police Capacity, who are attending the United Kingdom’s top police leadership centre ahead of their first operational deployment.

“These two weeks will be very valuable in finalizing our training as a unit before we depart for our first mission, which is expected to be to Chad. It’s essential to go into any peacekeeping mission as well prepared as possible and this course will ensure the team is operational as soon as we touch the ground,” Standing Police Capacity (SPC) Chief Walter Wolf told the UN News Service.

Along with instructors from the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and other sections of the world body, the 16 SPC officers attending the 8-19 October course will also be mentored by experienced trainers from several Member States.

“It’s important for all the officers gathered here to have a solid understanding of DPKO’s policies, doctrines and philosophies regarding modern peace operations, including lessons learned, but this course won’t be theoretical. It will be based on real mission scenarios that the team will have to work through,” said Mr. Wolf.

Once operational the SPC will have two main roles. Firstly, to provide immediate start-up capability on the ground for the police components of new UN peacekeeping missions, and secondly to provide rapid support and technical assistance to existing UN operations.

The idea of the SPC was first called for in 2004 by a blue-ribbon group of experts brought together by the UN to examine security threats in the 21st century. Member States endorsed the concept during their World Summit in September 2005 as a way to deal with the unprecedented demand for peacekeepers in general and police officers in particular.