CoESPU Workshops on Negotiation and Mediation for Police in Peacekeeping Environments

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Senior Program Officers Nina Sughrue and Noor Kirdar continued USIP’s support for the international Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU), run by the Italian Caribinieri in Vicenza, Italy.
CoESPU, which was established on March 1st 2005, stems from an Italian initiative, supported by the G8 countries to provide technical and financial assistance in order to improve global capacity for sustaining peace stability operations, particularly in African countries.  CoESPU is one piece in a wider effort of the International Community to improve the capacities of law enforcement professionals and contributors to peacekeeping operations working in vulnerable societies. USIP’s conflict management training is one part of an overall training curriculum for these officers.

On May 27th & 28th, Nina and Noor delivered two one-day workshops on negotiations and mediation for 88 middle-level and 35 high-level officers. The CoESPU students came from Burkina Faso, Egypt, Cameroon, Indonesia, Jordan, Mali, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Serbia, and Ukraine.  Workshop content included conflict analysis, negotiation and mediation techniques.  Interactive role-playing exercises were used in the training to emphasize key points of negotiation and mediation – particularly in the context of international peacekeepers. 

The participants noted the importance of the subject matter, which directly applies to their fieldwork.  Both groups found the role-playing exercise highly effective and many requested that the training be extended.  One participant noted “ The workshop gives us a good insight on what mediation and negotiation are and ways of to end to hostilities in many areas of conflict around the world.”  Another participant added, “The workshop was excellent and rich.  The aspect of practical negotiation with case studies is commendable.”