Cairo, Egypt – The 14th APSTA (African Peace Support Trainers Association) conference and general meeting was held in Cairo, Egypt from 5-7 September 2016. The event was jointly organized by CCCPA and the APSTA Secretariat.The conference, themed “Achieving the Objectives of the APSA Roadmap 2016 2020: The Foundations of Training, Education and Learning,” was chaired by Counselor Ashraf Swelam in his capacity as APSTA President and CCCPA Director. The conference brought together representatives from the African Union, the United Nations as well as APSTA partners and member organizations. H.E. Ambassador Hesham Badr, Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Relations and International Security gave the keynote speech.
The conference was a chance for participants to discuss important topics, including:
- The inter-linkages between UN and AU peace and security architectures
- The APSA roadmap 2016-2020
- The Future of AU Peace Operations: Maputo 5-year ASF work plan
- Implementation of training recommendations (S-G's report on HIPPO)
- Contemporary PSO trends
- The framework of APSTA partnerships
- Updates on member training and research initiatives
The conference was followed by the general meeting, during which a new APSTA president was elected to succeed CCCPA; outgoing honorary member, Ambassador Soad Shalaby (Egypt), handed over the reins to her successor, Ambassador Bethuel Abdu Kiplagat (Kenya). The meeting was also a chance for board members to discuss the Association’s strategic training goals and stakeholder perspectives and plans for the upcoming year.
