On the threshold of this new year, allow me, on behalf of all the staff of the Alioune Blondin BEYE Peacekeeping School (EMP-ABB) in Bamako, International Center of Excellence of the Economic Community of of West Africa (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU), to wish you happy holidays for the end of the year 2022 and asks you to receive our best wishes for the year 2023.
This year, which is coming to an end, has shown us that the entire Sahel region needs more than ever the commitment of all actors for the promotion and strengthening of the culture of peace! Multifaceted and cross-border challenges have unfortunately not ceased to grow and require vigilance, coordinated efforts and inclusive international cooperation. The contribution of all the components participating in peace operations (civilian, military and police) as well as the involvement of all actors at all levels is essential for the advent of a world at peace reconciled with itself.
Among the many challenges that continue to affect the organization of our societies and transform our approaches in conducting training, we can cite COVID-19. Also, many reports highlight the increasing use of digital technologies in the theater of operations. This is how a large majority of the community of training centers deemed it necessary to adapt their training by making it correspond to the needs and realities of the field. The mastery of the computer tool, the digital transformation, the updating of the modules and training methods will allow us to train resilient human resources capable of meeting the complex and multifaceted challenges of the hour. Our institution, with the support of its partners, has already initiated this process of digital transformation.
The intensification and diversification of the types of partnerships remain an essential objective for the School. Thus, on the occasion of the 26th Annual Conference of the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centers (IAPTC), the EMP-ABB was honored by its nomination to the Presidency of the component member of the Executive Committee of the said association. This confidence demonstrates the recognition of the quality of work resulting from the investment and involvement of all of our institution's partners. Thus, the year 2023 promises to be auspicious. The School is resolutely determined to pursue its mission of building the capacity of executives throughout the Sahelo-Saharan region and throughout Africa.
Another wish very dear to our institution is to see more African countries join our Board of Directors in order to strengthen international cooperation and streamline inter-institutional coordination with the aim of effectively curbing the multiple threats to peace, to the security and development of our peoples. It is with this in mind that our Center for Research and Analysis of the Sahel-Saharan Space (CARESS) has launched two new masters: the master in Risk and Disaster Management (GRC) and the one in Organized Crime, Terrorism and International Criminal Cooperation (MACOTEC).
All these advances and projections towards a future filled with hope would not have been possible without the support of the tireless partners and collaborators of our institution. May they be thanked! It is together that we will take up all the challenges with ingenuity and intelligence!
With these words of hope, on behalf of all EMP-ABB staff and myself, I would like to renew our best wishes for the new year.

Long live international cooperation in the service of peace in Africa and in the rest of the world!