SARPCCO generic UN/AU police officers course

The standardised generic UN Police Course (UNPOC) course was developed by a task team of expert police trainers with previous UN experience.

The standardised generic UN Police Course (UNPOC) course curriculum, training manual and participants’ reader were originally developed for SARPCCO. The product was developed by a task team convened in February 2004 (Malawi) and June 2004 (Mozambique), followed by a pilot course in December 2004 (South Africa). Under the chairmanship of Malawi, expert police trainers with previous UN experience from Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe shared their experiences and lessons learned, and assisted with the development of the training package before you. After several years of existence, and in the light of fast-changing developments in peacekeeping by the UN, the AU and the international community, the product became outdated and was in need of revision.

This particular product was adopted for use by SARPCCO after review, updating and editing by a SARPCCO task team comprising S/Supt David Rapula (Botswana); ACP Hannings Mlotha (Malawi), ACP Josiah Kantheji and ACP Evalista Chisale; Capt I G Govender (South Africa); and CP Josephine Shambare (Zimbabwe). The work of the team was facilitated by the staff of the ISS/TfP, namely Festus Aboagye, head of the programme, and Xavier Ejoyi and Andrews Atta-Asamoah, researchers at the ISS/TfP in Nairobi. In keeping with the original idea, the training material reflects the generic guidelines developed by the UN Integrated Training Service (then the Training and Evaluation Service (TES)). Many of the modules continue to be based on the provisions of the UN Standardised Generic Training Modules (SGTMs), or Standard Training Module (STM) 1. The package includes perspectives on regional peacekeeping. Thus, the value-added of the SARPCCO course and training materi- als, in essence, will be their regional relevance and the additional focus placed on identified requirements and needs.

Ultimately, the objective of the SARPCCO UNPOC training package is to support the increasing demand for trained quality regional police for UN, AU and regional peace support operations. The UNPOC training materials – developed for and by the region – aim to significantly improve and sustain the quality of deployed regional police, and to motivate member states to increase the quantity of police currently participating in peace support operations.

The commonalities between the SARPCCO product and that of the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (EAPCCO) are expected to yield greater standardisation of peacekeeping training.