Human rights

The prerequisites necessary to participate in this course are:

  • be medically fit to follow the entire course and in particular the exercises in the field,
  • be an officer of rank from captain to lieutenant-colonel or equivalent civilian personnel,
  • master the French or English language,
  • be likely to hold a job as HR manager in a peace support operation in Africa.

Description:

With a view to continuing to offer high quality courses, the most recent standards used by the United Nations have served as the basis for the development of this new course. Thus, this training is the result of a tripartite collaboration between the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFEA) and the Bamako Peacekeeping School. (EMP) focused on the implementation of human rights in peace support operations.

Training details

  • Duration: 5 days.
  • Methodology / curriculum: the curriculum for this training must adopt the perspective of an integrated mission, in the context of an African Union, referring both to the multidimensionality of the mission (civilians, police, military) and to the coordination and existing cooperation between the components.
  • Using various learning methods (presentations, case studies, discussions, group work, audio-visual supports) the methodology of this course is intended to be interactive and participative.
  • Participants: 25 participants, civilians, military and police, from the African Union, intervening in the PSOs.
  • Profile of participants: the course is intended for participants with a good knowledge of human rights issues. Emphasis will then be placed not on theoretical and conceptual aspects but on the practice and implementation of human rights in post-conflict contexts.

Selection criteria for civil applications

  • Types of sending institution
    1. Ministries (Foreign Affairs, Justice, Interior, Defense)
    2. Transitional institutions (Independent Electoral Commission, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, National dialogue platform)
    3. National Human Rights Commissions
    4. NGOs (human rights, transitional justice, etc.)
    5. Peace Support Operation Missions
  • Areas of expertise and experience of African candidates (non-exhaustive list): legal professions (international law, constitutionalism, electoral field, etc.), human rights, humanitarian law, social mediation.
  • Gender: Female candidates are to be encouraged.
  • Languages: The lessons are given in French. A course session in English and a bilingual session (French - English) will also be provided.
  • Origin: The participants are citizens of the African Union + 2 to 3 representatives of African regional organizations (ECOWAS, ECCAS, AU)

Developed themes

  1. General introduction to human rights
  2. IHL
  3. Work of human rights experts
  4. Protection of vulnerable groups
  5. Protection of people on the move
  6. Human rights monitoring
  7. Transitional justice

Special point:

Each trainee has 20 minutes to briefly present their country, their armed forces (for the military) or the organization to which they belong (for civilians). It is advisable to prepare this presentation before joining Bamako.
Civilian personnel, interested in following the training and who meet the selection criteria, must send their CV along with the registration form to the following address civil applications@empbamako.org - by mentioning in the subject line the name of the course. Out of 25 participants, 13 are civilians. Each trainee receives in advance all documents relating to the internship and all important readings to allow the intern to optimize his internship week. It is advisable to prepare and read the documentation before joining the course.