Second U.S.-Japan Global Peace Operations Initiative Senior Mission Leaders' Course

September 1, 2011

The Governments of Japan and the United States will co-host the 2nd Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) Senior Mission Leaders' (SML) Course Sept. 5-16, 2011 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

The U.S.-Japan GPOI SML course has its origin in the G8 Action Plan to expand global capability for peace support operations, launched by the G8 leaders at the 2004 G8 Sea Island Summit. As recent United Nations peacekeeping missions are increasingly multifunctional, the importance of an integrated approach among civilian, military and police units continues to grow. This course emphasizes mission planning, preparation, operating and command as a strategic level exercise.

The 2nd GPOI SML course will be conducted based on the curriculum developed by the UN and in accordance with UN training guidelines for the purpose of building capacity in the Asia-Pacific region for potential UN peacekeeping operations senior mission leaders. Course participants comprise 25 officials from military, police, and civilian fields and are from 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including six Japanese participants.

This is an initiative by the Governments of Japan and the United States to contribute to the UN and the international community as a whole, by means of training future UN peacekeeping senior mission leaders. This program is a tangible effort on the part of U.S.-Japan cooperation to address issues of fragile states, an area specifically listed as one of the Common Strategic Objectives of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee (2+2) held in June this year.

The opening ceremony of the course will be held at 9 a.m., Sept. 5 at the International Convention Hall at the ministry (room 760). Distinguished officials representing the Governments of Japan and the United States will attend the ceremony. From the UN, Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, Director of Policy, Evaluation and Training Division, Department of Peacekeeping Operations, will also attend. The closing ceremony of the course will be held at 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 16 at the International Convention Hall at the ministry (room 272). In the closing ceremony, certificates of completion of the course will be presented to the participants.

For inquiries and further briefings, please contact Mr. Otsuka, the International Peace Cooperation Division, MOFA (tel. 5501-8214).

1. Participants, Mentors and Instructors
   
   
   1. Participants:
      Australia, People's Republic of Bangladesh, Kingdom of Cambodia, Republic of Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Philippines, Kingdom of Thailand, and People's Republic of China
      
      
   2. Mentors and Instructors
      Australia, India, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Nigeria, and the United States
      
      (Senior mentors are individuals who have led United Nations peacekeeping deployments and will lead participants through the course)
2. Joint Statement of the Security Consultative Committee (Common Strategic Objectives):
   
   In order to support fragile states and promote human security, strengthen U.S.-Japan cooperation in areas of humanitarian assistance, governance, and capacity building, peacekeeping operations and development assistance.