Zambia police officers trained in UN peacekeeping

Twenty-four police officers in Zambia, trained for United Nations Peacekeeping Missions, will May 22 pass out after completing a two-week United Nations Police (UNPOL)course in Zambia.

Funded by the German Government through the Pan African Police Capacity Building Program, the United Nations Core Competencies in Peace Operations course was developed and delivered by the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre (PPC) from May 11 to 22. The main topics of the curriculum were: community policing, report writing, the United Nations Code of Conduct and dealing with vulnerable groups, which include women, children, the elderly and the disabled.
“The Pearson Peacekeeping Centre works closely with the German Government to provide training and support in numerous African countries to make peace operations more effective,” said Frank Delorey, a PPC senior facilitator. “This UNPOL course develops core competency skills so each police officer can confidently enter into United Nations/African Union Missions."

Police officers, men and women, travelled from various police units across Zambia to participate in the course.
“This course benefits the Zambian police officers who will be serving in United Nations and African Union missions as we have gained international exposure on policing,” says Peter Thomson Lungu, Zambian Police Chief Inspector and course participant. “Not only will it help us in a peacekeeping mission, but it will help our own police force on mission.”

Capacity development is a fundamental aspect of the Pan African Police Capacity Building Program. The objective of this program is to improve East, North and Southern African police and gendarmerie organizations’ training capacity so they can increase their contributions to United Nations and African Union peace operations, and assist the region in building their African Standby Brigades.
“The German Government is proud to contribute through its Peace and Security in Africa programme which was initiated in 2008 to international peace and security,” said Ms. Astrid Ilper, Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission from the German Embassy. “Through well-trained police officers, Zambia will be in a position to positively contribute to peacekeeping missions throughout Africa and the world.”