KAIPTC Hosts the Fourth Civilian Working Group Meeting
With the objective of enhancing the civilian dimension of the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) and increasing awareness and support for civilian component activities, The ECOWAS Commission recently organized a 3-day civilian working group meeting from 01-03 June 2022, in Accra Ghana.
The meeting particularly intended to strengthen the civilian component of ECOWAS’ Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD) and promote key areas of implementation with reference to the civilian component of the ESF. The main areas of concern included policy development, research and civilian training, networking and partnership.
Established in 2016, The Civilian Working Group (CWG) comprises of non-military experts from various Training Centers of Excellence (TCE) and the civilian component of the ESF.
Speaking on behalf of the Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), The Director of Training, Colonel Paul Tanye Kulono, stated that the fourth meeting will serve as an opportunity to discuss issues pertaining to civilians in PSOs and proffer solutions regarding the civilian component. Colonel Kulono appreciated the ECOWAS Commission and its partners for its commitment and continuous support to the KAIPTC.
Also present at the event, Ambassador Baba Gana Wakil, the Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission to the Republic of Ghana, appreciated the various TCEs for their participation in the Fourth CWG meeting. Amb. Wakil expressed his desire for the working group to be repositioned to enable it to provide more strategic support to sustain the full operationalization of the ESF.
“This should include the deployment of civilians in ECOWAS Peace Support Operations and the development of relevant policy documents as well as the continuous training of civilians within the ECOWAS TCEs,” he stated.
Amb. Wakil thanked the Commandant of KAIPTC, Major General Francis Ofori, for hosting the working group, and the GIZ-ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) for their technical and financial support.
This Civilian Working Group Meeting was organized with the financial support of the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), through the GIZ- EPSAO project.
For more info on EPSAO Project : https://www.raosupportcellecowas.com/post/apoio-%C3%A0-arquitetura-da-cedeao-e-%C3%A0s-opera%C3%A7%C3%B5es-de-paz-e-seguran%C3%A7a-epsao?lang=pt