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Updated: 31-Oct-2000 Ministerial Communiqus

Issued at the
meeting of the
North Atlantic
Cooperation
Council

Brussels,
3 Dec. 1993

Summary of NACC Peacekeeping Seminar
in Copenhagen, Denmark

On 17th-19th November, 1993 a NACC peacekeeping seminar on "Peacekeeping Experience: Force Generation, Training and Education, and Planning. The Applicability of the Nordic Approach to Cooperation in Peacekeeping" was held in Copenhagen.

75 delegates from 22 NACC countries and 3 non-NACC CSCE states participated.Furthermore, the international organisations UN, CSCE, NAA and WEU were represented as well as NATO's IS, IMS, MNCs and NATO Defense College.

The total number of delegates was 90 at the one star/lieutenant colonel level or civilian equivalents.

The purpose of the seminar was to give an in-depth presentation of the Nordic experience in cooperation on training for peacekeeping as well as the experience from the formation of joint Nordic peacekeeping forces (MACCOM and NORBAT II).

The general conclusion of the seminar was that a profound understanding of basic peacekeeping values is necessary to be able to cope appropriately with the challenges of any peace support operation.

Other conclusions were the following:

  • New and more complex operations require more military training than traditional peacekeeping missions.Armies that mainly consist of conscripts will need a longer preparatory phase than mainly professional armies.

  • Specific peacekeeping education and training is needed for all types of operations and all types of armies.

  • A need exists for international cooperation on unit and joint training.

  • Cooperation must aim at common procedures to form the basis of national training.

  • Command post exercises could be valuable when training for multinational operations.

  • International cooperation on staff training is a necessity.

  • For new types of operations, armoured vehicles for protection of the peacekeepers are needed.

  • Specialist training is necessary for military police, movement controllers, military observers, staff personnel and logistics personnel.The Nordic model for division of labour in the field of specialist training could be useful.

An extensive report on the seminar will be submitted to the NACC Ad Hoc Group on Cooperation in Peacekeeping in the Spring of 1994.


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