Page 61 - Coespu 2018-4

Starting in 2019: A news Course on Environmental awarness

According to the Environmental Policy and the
environmental awareness that is a part of the UN
policy, especially for the field mission, at CoESPU we
are working to enlarge our training offer, with a
specialized course totally dedicated to the environment.
From the code of personal conduct for Blue helmets,
written in 1999, we read that one of the priorities
selected for personnel is “Show respect for and promote
the environment, including the flora and fauna, of the
host country”. Managing environmental questions is
part of the work of a peacekeeper, not only in order to
save environment and not create any damage to it, but
also for defending Un reputation and to avoid the
tightening of any forms of illegal exploitation which
could create other irrecoverable problems in a post-
conflict area. Taking care of these fragile context, for
the upcoming year we want to propose a two-weeks
course totally dedicated to law enforcement officials

eligible for deployment to UN/ AU peace operations as
Environmental Officers or Appointed Officers
for the Military and the Police component.
The course focuses on the role and skills of
officers in charge of dealing with
environmental issues in the context of Peace
Support operations, managing environmental
issues in the mission and serving as focal
points to liaise with the Director/Chief of
Mission Support. The course serves to train
officials who, already in possess of specific
technical skills, might be employed as
Environmental Officers. Stated otherwise, the
course provides a broad and comprehensive approach to the management of environmental issues in the
context of UN missions, with emphasis on both legislative instruments and on solving practical problems.
However, the activity is not intended to cover completely the higher‐level technical knowledge that
might be desirable for Environmental Officers. So we are working to plan a course with lectures,
simulations, panel with external experts and table top exercises, to better involve the officers who will
attende to it. It is a novelty which could become in the future part of the rich training offer of this Center.

(By Maj. Marina Bizzotto)

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