Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - On September 9, CCCPA assumed the Presidency of the African Peace Support Trainers Association (APSTA), representing the North African region. The decision was announced during the 13th Annual General Meeting of the Association, held from 7-9 September 2015.

CCCPA will serve as President for one year. The École Internationale  des Forces de Sécurité (EIFORCES) of Cameroon will serve as Vice President. Counselor Ashraf Swelam, Director of CCCPA, expressed the Center’s intention to adopt a hands-on approach to the presidency of the African Association.

“While CCCPA’s accession to the Presidency of the African Association is based on a rotation among the five African sub-regions, it is a responsibility that we take very seriously”, Swelam said. “This year will be a pivotal year for global and African peacekeeping. Discussions are underway on the future of peacekeeping following the release of the recommendations of both the UN Secretary General and the High-Level Independent Panel on the Review of UN Peace Operations (HIPPO). It is also the year during which the African Standby Force is to achieve its full operational capability. Such developments and others will have enormous ramifications for peacekeeping training, and APSTA will have a major role to play,” he added.

On his side, Counselor Hatem Elatawy, Deputy Director of CCCPA, emphasized the importance of strategic planning: “One of the primary goals of our Presidency is to ensure – together with the other distinguished members of the Management Committee and the membership of the association at large – that the association is capable of meeting the rising demand of its services, while achieving its financial sustainability and viability. We look forward to working with the Secretariat in this regard.”

APSTA is a voluntary association comprising African training centers of excellence working in peacekeeping and capacity building of peace support operations. Membership of the organization has steadily grown since its establishment in 2001. Today, there are 16 active member institutions involved in research, capacity building and training of African peacekeepers. Members play a crucial role in the implementation of policies and programs relating to the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), particularly those relating to Peace Support Operations (PSO). The President of the Association calls and chairs the General Meeting and the meetings of the Management Committee, as well as spearheads the activities of APSTA. 

CCCPA would like to seize this opportunity to express its sincere appreciation to the Institute of Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, APSTA’s outgoing president, for steering the work of the Association during its 2014-2015 term.