3 July 2014
The GICHD participated last month in the 20th Annual Conference of the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centres (IAPTC) in Jakarta, Indonesia. The GICHD took this opportunity to present its mandate; our representatives also underlined the importance of mine action in the context of multidimensional peacekeeping and as a fundamental part of the UN-mandated concept of the "protection of civilians" from threats of armed conflicts.
The aim of the IAPTC is to facilitate communication and exchange of information between peacekeeping and other related training centres. About 130 international participants representing Peace Support Operations (PSO) training institutions, but also UN bodies, regional organisations, NGOs, military headquarters and research institutes, used this conference as a unique platform to discuss relevant key issues.
The GICHD introduced the collaborative approach it proposes to PSO training institutions. For example, the cooperation with the German UN Training Centre enables the GICHD to train international staff of mine action programmes very efficiently and under realistic field conditions. It also helps to develop a basic understanding of mine action related topics within the supporting military training institution.