Summary Report of the 4th Joint EAPCCO/SARPCCO High Level Peacekeeping Seminar

Date: 2011-11-28 to 2011-11-30

Venue: , Safari Hotel, Windhoek

Bridging gaps in the management of African national and regional peacekeeping efforts

Sustaining police deployments and targeting such deployments on professional Police officers with special knowledge and skill sets for specific mission scenarios was identified as the most recurring 2-fold issue for peace operations within the continent.

The twin issues were informed by the peacekeeping landscape in Africa in 2011, largely punctuated by the scale of peace missions; the continuing surge in peacekeepers deployed in the continent; the slow pace of gender balance in peace operations vis-à-vis the issues of sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual gender based violence in host communities; and implications for the high level of DPKO assessed budgets for peace operations; in addition to the operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF) within the framework of Roadmap III to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC) by 2015.

These issues were also underscored by ongoing efforts by the UN DPKO to promulgate the Strategic Guidance (Doctrinal) Framework (SGF/SDF) for Police, coupled with practical challenges in POC mandate implementation within UNMISS and AMISOM, as well as the role and function of Formed Police Units (FPUs) and the impact of emerging security threats, such as Transnational Organised Crime.

The recent 4^th Joint High Level Seminar identified these issues in Windhoek, Namibia, from 28-30 November 2011. Twenty-eight (28) senior leaders and managers of 16 member states (8 each) in the Eastern African Police Chiefs Organisation (EAPCCO) and the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Organisation (SARPCCO), responsible for peacekeeping training and deployments, attended the seminar. In effect, nine of the 14 PCCs from the two regions were present at the seminar.

The annual seminar with the theme, Complex Emergencies and Multidimensional Peacekeeping, Operational Challenges of Police Protection of Civilians Mandates, and Implications for Capacity Building Training, seeks to bridge divide in peacekeeping knowledge and education between the senior mission leadership and the foundational level of peacekeeping training courses facilitated by the Training for Peace Programme at the Institute for Security Studies, for UN and AU peace operations.

The seminar provided a platform for a key outcome, namely the opportunity to urge strongly, regional organisations and member states to select and prepare professional officers, including females, for peacekeeping missions mandated by the UN or the AU, and maintain databases of trained officers, to be better able to deal with these challenges in a more coherent and holistic manner.

It is the hope that there will be a discernible improvement in the commitment of EASFCOM (Eastern Africa Standby Force Coordination Mechanism) and SADC during 2012 and beyond, as a result of the heightened level of education and awareness during the seminar.

Incidentally, only one female (Uganda) attended the seminar. In order to enhance the chances of female participation in peace operations, the offer of the Norwegian Police Directorate to support female driving skills was shared with the participants. In addition, the seminar was informed of plans by the ISS/TfP to design and establish a Police Gender Mentoring Course during 2012. In addition to EAPCCO and SARPCCO, the AU and UN, as well as one other international peacekeeping training institution, will be approached to partner in the process.

One senior officer from the newly independent Republic of South Sudan was present at the seminar. As well, the seminar was attended by the Directors of the ASF Police PLANELMs (Planning Elements) at the EASFCOM and SADC; the Police Training Coordinator at the SADC RPTC (Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre); INTERPOL Regional Bureaus in Harare and Nairobi; resource persons from the UN DPKO and the AU PSOD (Peace Support Operations Division/Directorate); the current Police Commissioner of the UNMISS (UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan) and a former Senior Police Advisor to the Police Commissioner of AMISOM (AU Mission in Somalia).

Namibia, which hosted the first seminar in 2007, offered to host the 2011 seminar in order to identify the country as a recipient and beneficiary of UN peacekeeping (UN Transition Assistance Group, UNTAG, 1989-90), and the commitment of the Namibian Police Force to the mechanism of UN (and AU) peace operations.

Other issues discussed at the seminar included: urgent need for further policy guidance on POC education and training; the involvement of African stakeholders in key UN and AU policy formulation processes; bridging the perceptible divide between RECs/RMs, CoEs (Centres of Excellence) and member states; the need to maintain and increase the numbers of females in national contributions, in order to improve gender balance in peace missions; fostering of multi-level peacekeeping partnerships; the need to build upon the UN Selection and Assistance Team training, better management of FPU resources and equipment; how to address administrative bottlenecks in the deployment of trained police officers and streamline the retention and extension of tours of duty.

The next seminar may take place in 2013, in order to allow a focus on impact assessment of the foundational training and the analysis of training needs for EAPCCO and SARPCCO in 2012.

The full seminar report is below.

4^TH JOINT EAPCCO/SARPCCO HIGH LEVEL PEACEKEEPING SEMINAR

SAFARI HOTEL, WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA

SUMMARY REPORT ON KEY DISCUSSIONS AND ISSUES

INTRODUCTION

1.              The 4^th Joint Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation and the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (EAPCCO/SARPCCO) High Level Peacekeeping Seminar was hosted by Namibia Police at the Safari Hotel, Windhoek, from 28 – 30 November 2011.

2.              The idea of the high level seminar started originally with SARPCCO in Namibia in 2007. The first joint seminar was held in Tanzania in 2008, the second in Malawi in 2009 and the third in Kenya in 2010.

3.              The theme of the seminar was Complex Emergencies and Multidimensional Peacekeeping, Operational Challenges of Police Protection of Civilians Mandates, and Implications for Capacity Building Training. To add a practical dimension to the theme, the seminar used the newly established UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) for more focused discussions.

PURPOSE

4.              The purpose of the Seminar was to bridge the divide in peacekeeping knowledge and education between the Senior Mission Leadership and the foundational level of peacekeeping training for UN and AU peace operations.

5.              The seminar is not an executive decision-making forum. Among others, the reason for adopting this approach is that the seminar is not an established structure of the AU and RECs/RMs, even though it is constituted by EAPCCO and SARPCCO.

OPENING

6.              Major General Vilio Hifindaka, the Deputy Inspector General for Operations of the Namibian Police, formally opened the seminar and spoke on behalf of the Inspector General of the Namibian Police.

7.              He cited Namibia as a recipient and beneficiary of UN peacekeeping (UN Transition Assistance Group, UNTAG, 1989-90), and placed into context the commitment of the Namibian Police in participating in several UN missions in Timor Leste, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Haiti and Sudan-Darfur, where Namibia Police currently deploys an all female contingent of 31 officers.

8.              He expressed the hope that the seminar would be a forum to discuss and share best practices on peace support operations and relevant aspects of conflict underpinning peace and security. He noted aspects of conflicts such as organised crime, and the activities of warlords, sub- and non-state actors, proliferation of small arms, among others, lead to the collapse of national social institutions, law and order and massive displacements.

9.              He used these to underscore the need for multidimensional peace operations and for quality trained Police officers, both male and female, to participate in such peace operations.

PARTICIPATION

10.           In this regard, the seminar brought together five categories of participants, namely:

a)              Senior leaders and managers of national police organisations of EAPCCO and SARPCCO dealing with peacekeeping training and deployments.

b)             Directors of the ASF Planning Elements (PLANELMs) at the level of the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), as well as their respective Centres of Excellence (CoEs).

c)              Head of the INTERPOL Regional Bureau Nairobi, and Principal Staff of the INTERPOL Bureaus in Harare and Nairobi, that serve as the Coordination Office and Secretariat, respectively of the two regional Police organisations.

d)             Resource persons from the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UN DPKO), the African Union Peace Support Operations Division/Directorate (AU PSOD).

e)              The current Police Commissioner of the UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Former Senior Police Advisor to the Police Commissioner of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

11.           The seminar was attended by a total of 28 Officers, including one female Officer, drawn from 16 member states (8 each from EAPCCO and SARPCCO). Of particular note, a Senior Officer from the newly independent Republic of South Sudan also attended the seminar. The level of attendance of substantive participants is one of the highest ever.

PROGRAMME CONTENT AND DISCUSSIONS

12.           The programme for the seminar focused mainly on the following aspects of the theme of protection of civilians in the context of complex multidimensional peacekeeping:

a)              An overview of the peacekeeping landscape in Africa against the backdrop of global UN peacekeeping and AU peace support operations during 2011, highlighting such key issues as: the scale of peace missions deployed in the continent; the continuing scale of the surge in peacekeepers; the slow pace of gender balance in peace operations vis-à-vis the issues of sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual gender based violence in host communities; and the challenge in sustaining the high levels of DPKO assessed budgets for peace operations.

b)             UN DPKO policy perspectives covering the Strategic Guidance (Doctrinal) Framework (SGF/SDF) that is ongoing, through its final refinement before submission to the C-34.

c)              The concept of civilian protection and the practical challenges entailed in mandate implementation in the peacekeeping environments of UNMISS and AMISOM.

d)             The role and function of Formed Police Units (FPUs) and the processes underway to establish appropriate training guidance, curriculum and materials for harmonised and standardised training by all stakeholders and, in the context of the Police, FPU training for POC.

e)              Transnational Organised Crime as an ‘emerging’ trend that impacts host nations, regions and peacekeeping operations and the approaches being adopted by the UN, and engagement with partners, to prepare peacekeepers and missions, to deal with that trend in a more coherent and holistic manner. The West African Coast Initiative (WACI), to combat Transnational Organised Crime, is a model that needs to be studied and considered by other regions.

f)              The African Standby Force (ASF) and key activities projected to be undertaken as part of Roadmap III towards the achievement of Full Operational Capability (FOC) by 2015.

13.           The key aspects of the discussions are summarised in the following section.

KEY ISSUE 1: PEACEKEEPING AND POC MANDATES, AND STRATEGIC GUIDANCE

14.           The progression in the development of the SGF/SDF was noted and that continuous support and participation of the EAPCCO/SARPCCO Member States in the next phases was encouraged.

15.           It is anticipated that new policy guidance, and education and training materials on SGF/SDF and wider peacekeeping issues will be forthcoming in 2012. The involvement of African stakeholders will be key, for instance in the projected UN DPKO-led training needs analysis in 2012. The inclusion of a wider range of institutions and structures in the planning and conduct of the AU PSOD-led Police-Specific Exercise in 2012 will similarly be a useful approach.

16.           Bridging the perceptible divide between RECs/RMs and CoEs and member states will equally help to strengthen POC training, using UN materials and AU documents that are consistent with such materials. The early roll out of relevant AU materials on POC, consistent with that of the UN, as well as training methodologies that tap into the experiences of resource persons with peacekeeping experience, coupled with scenario-based exercises, among others, will immensely make POC training more effective.

17.           As a term of doctrine and practice, POC requires a multidimensional, integrated and joint approach at the operational level. This underscores the need for a more holistic approach and involvement of the Rule of Law (RoL) pillars. POC training, to the extent possible, should be conducted as integrated training.

18.           In the context of Police, POC training should emphasise the need for balance in the criminal justice architecture that persists in different degrees and ways in the peacekeeping infrastructure and in post-conflict peacebuilding. It should take note of the establishment of a Corrections Standby Capacity (CSC) at the UN Logistics Base (UNLB) in Brindisi, Italy.

19.           In the context of the ASF architecture, the AU and RECs/RMs should put in place forward looking policies to provide for Corrections presence in ASF structures and in regional mandated peace support operations, when necessary. The seminar took note of the achievement of the SADC PLANELM in developing and testing a regional Corrections course at the SADC RPTC.

KEY ISSUE 2: POC AND GENDER [IM] BALANCE

20.           As at October 2011, it was estimated that 1,342 female police officers represented about 9.4% of the total police deployment of 14,239. This reflected a marginal improvement over the participation of female police in peacekeeping. This improvement also covered participation in FPU.

21.           However, it is obvious that while gender remains a central issue underpinning effective implementation of POC mandates, the pace of gender representation in TCC and PCC contributions and, in consequence, within missions, has not kept pace with the impact of violence on vulnerable civilian populations.

22.           Nevertheless, a number of African member states appear to have taken on the challenge of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, by deploying all-female contingents. African examples include Namibian Police Force (31 females in UNAMID), Rwanda (89 in Darfur), Tanzania (25 in Darfur) and Ghana (35 in Darfur). In the field of training, for example, EASFCOM has achieved about 32% female participation in their training.

23.           The seminar acknowledged that in some situations, the social cost of female deployments may be high for member states. At the same time, however, the seminar continued to strongly urge member states to maintain and increase the component of females in their contributions as the only way of improving gender balance in peace missions, among others, through the adoption of special policies (and programmes) to enhance women’s participation.

24.           Member States that contribute contingents of female officers were invited to consider the offer from the Norwegian Police Directorate to support special training to equip and qualify women with driving skills.

25.           Taking cognisance of the need and trend towards the selection and recruitment of police peacekeepers with requisite professional skill sets, the seminar was challenged to explore ways of deploying more competent officers, especially females, who will not shy away but will compete to fill professional posts.

KEY ISSUE 3: CRITICAL POC MISSION EXPERIENCES

26.           The updates on critical POC experiences in UNMISS and AMISOM showed that in order to ensure the success and credibility of any mission with the mandate to protect civilians, such mission must have a clear POC strategy in support of the mechanisms put in place by the host country and well trained peacekeepers.

27.           These missions should address POC in an integrated approach, including the TCC’s (military), PCC’s (police), civilian components of the missions and the UN Country Team (UNCT), the host country and community, with regional participation.

28.           With a mandate to build capacity to protect civilians, these missions should also focus on the establishment of police primacy, skill levels transformation (mentoring and advising) and training (various levels and areas of expertise). During this process, the UNPOL and AUPOL need to empower the community, report, deter and advise on potential threats against the civilian population and establish Community Policing Forums (including Special Protection Units). Missions should also share information, undertake joint patrols, act as mediators in communal conflicts and disputes, address Gender Based Violence (GBV), solicit donor support for police development in POC programmes and improve the rule of law (including addressing arbitrary and prolonged detention, and the detention of women and juveniles).

29.           Some of the broader challenges that were highlighted by both UNMISS and AMISOM include the lack of skilled UN/AU personnel, donor support for capacity building projects, mission support to deploy to neglected areas and ability of the host country (Government functionaries) to implement a robust POC strategy, and to drive the security sector reform agenda.

KEY ISSUE 4: PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKING

30.           The seminar was encouraged to acquaint itself with the UN policy document, A New Partnership Agenda, Charting a New Horizon for UN Peacekeeping (New York, 2009). ‘Partnerships’ was recognised as a new reality of the international system in addressing the challenges posed by conflict and instability.

31.           One dimension of this was the provision of funds by Budget Contributing Countries (BCCs), largely the developed economies, while developing countries, including African countries, provide the human capital.

32.           The clear implication of this is two-fold: the persistent demand for high levels of contributions by African countries, and the imperative of developing and establishing home-grown African capabilities, that devolves on the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), including the ASF of which regional standby forces are the building blocks.

33.           Another dimension of partnerships is the strengthening of UN support to the AU, particularly through the establishment of the UN Office to AU (UNOAU) in February 2011, to provide additional support than the UN AU Peace Support Team (UN AU-PST).

34.           As part of the UN-INTERPOL partnership that has evolved since 2008, the seminar was informed about the acquisition and installation of I-24/7 communication infrastructure for Somali Police Force in Mogadishu.

KEY ISSUE 5: POLICE CONTRIBUTIONS AND MANAGEMENT

35.           In broad terms, with the exception of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), existing police missions have shortfalls in the authorised strengths owing to a number of bottleneck factors such as:

a)              Too many extensions that affect the deployment of new, additional personnel after being SAT-qualified.

b)             The inability of PCCs to deploy required numbers of officers with the requisite skill sets and competencies, vis-à-vis the increasing complexity of police mission mandates and tasks.

c)              High cost of FPU equipment, coupled with delays in the early deployment of FPU after receiving training and equipment, leading to the deterioration of some of these assets, such as medicinal drugs.

d)             Gaps in communications between UN DPKO and Permanent Missions in New York, as well as between Permanent Missions, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the respective ministries with civil oversight over national police organisations.

e)              Administrative bottlenecks, especially the prolonged delays in the issuance of visas, or language requirements.

36.           These factors in part explain perceptible declines in the numbers of African police contributions to the detriment of UN (and AU) peace operations, and the frustration of personnel earmarked for deployment.

37.           Given the political nature of these factors, relevant solutions to address them will have to be pragmatic and could involve in-country arrangements to appoint Police Liaison Offers to Ministries of Foreign Affairs, for instance.

38.           At the level of the UN and the AU that has to depend on external support to maintain its AMISOM deployment, for example, speed of infrastructure development, provision of commensurate logistical support, and efficient and effective mechanisms to sustain funding streams (to the AU) will be key in mitigating the impact of these bottleneck factors.

39.           In general, African police contributions are impressive and are likely to improve even more with possible commitments from other countries, including Botswana, to the UNMISS and other missions, even though contributions to AMISOM may not be as promising. The UN Security Council, beyond authorising logistical support to AMISOM, as it did in the early phases of mandate transfer from the AU Mission in Sudan Darfur (AMIS) to UNAMID in 2007, may also not be ready to take over the mission in Somalia.

40.           The phenomenon of ‘rankless’ police missions may continue as a policy tool to achieve standardisation among different police traditions, even though it would still present a number of leadership and morale problems in missions. To minimize the negative impact of this policy, consideration should be given to apply the policy in cases of professional posts that should be differentiated from appointment to leadership and command positions, which should still be based on ranks. The other requirement is for PCCs to endeavour to select and deploy officers in accordance with the functions and/or ranks stipulated by the mandating authority and required by the mission.

41.           It will be proactive for the AU and RECs/RMs to be forward-looking in establishing human resource management policies to address this issue as far as the ASF is concerned.

42.           The predominant view is that the designation of UNPOL and AUPOL are more professionally descriptive and acceptable. They augur well for the recognition as a professional component and enhance discipline within their ranks and from other component. However, the continued dependence of police on civilian administration detracts from this. There is need for a review of this policy to establish organic police administration so that, for example, senior police officers will not queue with civilians to access certain services within missions.

KEY ISSUE 6: POLICE SELECTION, RECRUITMENT AND RETENSION

43.           The general view is that the UN Selection and Assistance (SAT) mechanism has and will continue to be a useful tool for achieving minimum standards in the selection of police personnel for deployment.

44.           It is expected that some of the existing weaknesses of the SAT guidelines have been addressed in the new policy on selection and the Standing Operating Procedure (SOPs). The extent of their impact in allowing more police officers to qualify for deployment will become clearer in the near future. It is expected that improvements will include some of the following aspects:

a)          UN DPKO conducts interviews to establish the nature of duties that potential members undertake at home stations

b)          Members of the Team come from the region or speak in a way that is easily understandable in the recipient countries

c)          A number of PCCs now undertake pre-SAT training to prepare selected officers PCCs undertake two forms of pre-mission training for SAT qualified officers.

45.           Where professional competencies are concerned, however, PCCs may consider offering the most qualified officers for recruitment and deployment. The establishment of a separate unit for Selection and Recruitment from Mission Management is indicative of the growing importance and significance of this management function.

46.           Extensions of duty tours for long periods in one mission disrupt the deployment of other personnel scheduled for deployment. It was considered reasonable that extension of duty tours for IPOs should be for only six months to complete 18 months. FPU duty tours should also be for only six months to complete a maximum of one year.

47.           However, in other exceptional cases, the retention of selected officers for repeated peacekeeping deployments or in specific posts beyond these periods will always be a matter of national prerogative and discretion. Furthermore, requests for extensions by individual officers will be made easier if discussed with National Contingent Commander (NCC), to inform national Police HQs.

KEY ISSUE 7: CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING AND MANAGEMENT

48.           Since the late 1990s, considerable CoEs and other civil society institutions have made improvements in peacekeeping training and management, collaboratively with partners and donors, employing guidance materials from the UN and/or the AU and RECs/RMs. This has helped to achieve significant levels of harmonisation and standardisation in training.

49.           More work needs to be done to sustain and improve on these levels, as well as to enhance the management of the training and the employment of the trained personnel within a reasonable period of time following training.

50.           Currently, greater focus should be placed on capacity building training for FPUs, employing common base documents and materials developed by the UN. External support in equipment should be channeled through the UN and AU for FPUs.

51.           Note is to be taken of UN DPKO-led plans and efforts to pilot three FPU TOT courses (one underway in India), and two during 2012, probably in Botswana and/or South Africa. One of these two courses will be run for Francophone countries.

52.           These arrangements will hopefully go a long way to relieve the pressure on African PCCs that have established FPUs, such as Angola, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, or others like Namibian Police that are about to do so, and are willing to contribute them to UN and AU peace operations.

53.           In the final analysis, RECs/RMs and member states should be urged to maintain databases of trained personnel for timely deployment and subsequently for ASF databases and rosters. This will ensure value for the investments into training.

54.           Meanwhile, the continued involvement of UN DPKO led processes in the design and development of training guidelines will augur well for peacekeeping training within the continent. The UN is urged to involve a wide spectrum of African institutions in the projected training needs analysis in 2012 to achieve this.

KEY ISSUE 8: ASF ROADMAP III

55.           The establishment of the ASF is on course, but is faced with challenges such as insufficient capabilities, and disparities in the levels of structures between the five RECs/RMs, and the establishment of the Continental Logistical Base (CLB) in Douala, Cameroon. During the AMANI Exercise I, it was noted that Police and civilian components were not at the same levels of preparedness as the military component.

56.           To address these gaps, Roadmap III is planned to include such activities as the review of the ASF concept and policy documents to realign them with recent realities and experiences in AU mandated operations such as AMIB, AMIS and AMISOM; review of the structure of AU PSOD and ASF HQ structures at the levels of the AUC and RECs/RMs; as well as development of physical infrastructure and capabilities in the areas of information and maritime. The planning for AMANI II in progress.

57.           In the context of AUPOL, plans are already underway to design, organise and conduct a Police-Specific Exercise, which is aimed at addressing some of the gaps identified in the mission readiness of ASF police. This is being supported by Canada.

58.           Informal networks among the various categories of participants could help to bridge gaps in communications between the UN, AU, RECs/RMs and Member States especially in facilitating access to information and materials on peacekeeping education and training, as well as timely deployments.

KEY ISSUE 9: LEVELS OF AFRICAN PCC COMMITMENTS AND BOTTLENECKS

59.           Materially, there are an estimated 14 PCCs within Africa during 2011. Nine participated in the seminar, namely:

a)              Burundi: a total of 134 current deployment, including 22 females; in three missions (UNOCI, UNAMID and MINUSTAH); one professional post in UNOCI; another professional post in AMISOM; and projected deployment of additional 150 to UN missions and 72 pending training to deploy to AMISOM; and projected establishment of two FPUs.

b)             Ethiopia: a total of 9, without females; projected deployment of 68, including 45 training team (30 males and 15 females), 11 advisors to UNMISS (including 1 female), and 12 advisors to UNAMID.

c)              Kenya: a total deployment of 38 current deployment, including 8 females; in two UN missions (UNMIL and UNMISS); and a training component of 10 for AMISOM; 20 projected for deployment to UNMIL; and supported with driving skills for females by Norway; aiming at 20% female participation by 2014.

d)             Madagascar: a total of 18 current deployment, including four females; in three missions (UNAMID, UNOCI and MINUSTAH).

e)              Namibia: a total of 58 current deployment, including 40 females; in four missions (UNMIT, UNMIL, UNMISS and UNAMID); undertaking study towards establishment of FPU; additional professional posts of UNMISS Police Commissioner and UN DPKO Police Planning.

f)              Rwanda: a total of 411 current deployment, including 118 females; in five missions (UNAMID, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNMISS and MINUSTAH); including one FPU with a strength of 160 in MINUSTAH and four Corrections officers; projected to deploy another 160 on rotation to MINUSTAH.

g)              Tanzania: a total of 188 current deployment, including 49 females to UNAMID. Projected to deploy another 190, including 25 females, SAT-qualified officers; earmarked one FPU of 140.

h)             Zambia: a total of 256, including 22 females, in four missions (UNAMID, UNMIL, UNMISS and UNMIT); additional two professional posts in UN DPKO and UNAMID; the projected level of the deployment will increase to 400.

i)               Uganda: a total of 37 current deployment, including 9 females; in three missions (UNMIL, UNMIT and UNMISS); an additional two professional posts in UN DPKO and UNOAU; and 10 officers (6 males, 4 females) in AMISOM; an additional professional post in AMISOM; deployment of FPU on hold owing to lack of slots in missions.

j)               Zimbabwe: a total of 107 current deployment, including 25 females; in four missions UNAMID, UNMISS, UNMIL and UNMIT; professional post in UNMIL; and a professional post of AMISOM Police Commissioner.

60.           The large majority of these PCCs benefit from various direct and indirect external support, such as Pearson Peacekeeping Centre and other partner support to EASFCOM, as well as the EAPCCO and SARPCCO UN Police Officers Courses (UNPOCs) supported by the ISS. Without exception, they all make use of existing UN standardised training manuals.

61.           In general, sustained African PCC commitments are affected in different ways and degrees by some of the following factors:

a)              Prolonged deployment of duty tour personnel in some cases.

b)             Inadequate numbers of quality trained instructors, and lack of capacity and peacekeeping infrastructure at some national police colleges.

c)              The sheer number of SAT tests, coupled with high SAT failure rates especially in language skills generally, as well as driving and shooting skills particularly for females.

d)             Absence of, or weak peacekeeping desks and offices, at headquarters of national police organisations.

e)              Impact of deployment on national police capacities, vis-à-vis national exigencies.

f)              Social cost of deployment on national police organisations, particularly for females, and generally the difficulties in reintegration of returning peacekeepers in some cases.

g)              Expense of FPU equipment in some instances.

h)             Insufficient Results-Based Budgets (RBBs) to support high police deployments.

62.           Addressing these challenges and weaknesses will require concerted and carefully calibrated and coordinated efforts at various levels of the peacekeeping infrastructure, in addition to effective partnerships and targeted support and assistance.

KEY ISSUE 10: THE WAY FORWARD

63.           A suggested new concept and approach:

a)              The seminar will be held biennially.

b)             The next meeting will therefore be held in 2013, for which Rwanda offered to host.

c)              In accordance with the established practice, the next meeting will continue to be held in November. The exact dates will be determined later.