Some 32 Security The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) invites a journalist from your media institution to cover the Training Course on Humanitarian Assistance and Women, Peace, Security in West Africa Core Course (HAWA WPS CC).

Security agencies in the West Africa sub region have been charged to work collectively in offering humanitarian assistance in times of emergency. 32 security chiefs with 47% being women from the sub region are in Ghana for a course training on Humanitarian Assistance by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). Addressing participants of the two-weeks training on behalf of Commandant of KAIPTC, Chief Coordinator KAIPTC, Colonel Christian Yao Dagadu says a coordinated approach is indispensable for effective disaster assistance.

“In emergencies, civilian, police and military actors find themselves working side by side and thus for effective disaster relief and assistance, the need for coordinated measures is indispensable”, he charged the security chiefs.

“You are going to learn in detail about mechanisms for coordinating measures and mutual understanding between civilian, police and military actors throughout their joint efforts in providing humanitarian assistance in highly challenging situations”, he added.

Meanwhile Course Director and Assistant Austrian Defence Attache, Lt. Col. Ortwin Gammer in highlighting the importance of the HAWA course for the region says its knowledge would be useful as most challenges in the sub region require some level of humanitarian assistance.

The Humanitarian Assistance and Women, Peace, Security in West Africa Core Course (HAWA WPS CC) course is conducted by KAIPTC and the Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR), supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Austrian Ministry of Defence (MOD). The overall aim of the  Course is to strengthen capacities for effective humanitarian assistance by providing participants with thorough knowledge and skills of the humanitarian sector and enhancing interaction and mutual understanding between actors from civil protection authorities, security forces, and NGOs involved in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The HAWA Core Course will provide a thorough introduction to Humanitarian Assistance; including Humanitarian Actors and their mandates, roles and modes of operation; the Disaster Risk Management Cycle, Typology of Disasters, Components of Humanitarian Action, Humanitarian Principles, Standards and Codes of Conduct, the Do no harm approach and International Humanitarian Law.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Edem Kojo