A training on "Crosscutting issues in peace operations" opened on Monday 28 November 2016 in Dakar, Senegal. The workshop is co-organized by the Ministry of Defense of Senegal and the Ministry of Defense and Sports of Austria and supported by the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). The training brings together senior officers from the subregion countries and European partners to reflect on issues related to the operationalization of collective security. The objective of the training is to strengthen the military and civilian experts’ capacities in the assessment, design, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of peace operations.

During the workshop that will end on 2 December, presentations and discussions will focus on the concepts, strategies and actors of Peace Support Operations (PSOs). Participants will familiarize themselves with the main pillars of PSOs including their general principles and legal framework; the protection of civilians, children, refugees and displaced persons; Humanitarian Aid and Security Sector Reform (SSR) / Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR). Other crosscutting issues such as gender, human rights, the role of civil society, and the impact of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons will be also discussed.