The 12th ESDC Course on Comprehensive Protection of Civilians

The European Security and Defence College (ESDC) is a network college, currently composed of more than 100 training institutes. The Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR) is one of the longest standing ESDC training partners with an extensive experience in several areas of training among which protection of civilians in armed conflicts.

From 10 to 14th of February 2020 the ASPR has conducted the 12th ESDC Course on Comprehensive Protection of Civilians in Vienna, Austria. The course included 31 participants, who were civilian, police and military experts working in ongoing UN, CSDP or OSCE Missions or in other assignments at organisational headquarters or national structures preparing staff for deployment to missions.

The ASPR has developed this course in cooperation with the Austrian Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs as a contribution to the ESDC and the UN as a capacity building effort for ongoing peace missions. The course is ESDC certified and has also been approved by UN DPO. It runs twice per year and it became one of the prestigious courses hosted by ASPR under the ESDC auspices.

Due to the various backgrounds (training and institutional) of the participants, their experience and the regional areas where they perform their duties, this activity was not a mere training course but rather a brainstorming activity also meant to enable further thinking in the area of Comprehensive Protection of Civilians.