Cairo, Egypt - January 14th saw the conclusion of three consecutive UN pre-deployment trainings (PDT) for Egyptian peacekeeping forces. The troops will be joining UN missions in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO - the world’s largest peacekeeping operation). The trainings, which began on 31 December 2014, were held in close collaboration between CCCPA and the Egyptian Ministry of Defense (MoD) in accordance with General Assembly resolution A/RES/49/37.
 
As conflicts become more complex, training is not only vital, but a pre-requisite for all peacekeeping personnel to function effectively. With Egypt being one of the top five contributors to peacekeeping missions, efficient training of personnel will result in a more effective operation on the whole. ‘PDT refers to generic, specialized and, where appropriate, mission-specific peacekeeping training that is based on United Nations standards and takes place prior to deployment to a Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)-led mission. This training is delivered by Member States to military and police personnel/units in their home country.’
 
The curriculum was based on UN Peacekeeping PDT Standards and covered topics such as UN peacekeeping operation principles; the nature of conflict in the respective country; conflict analysis; international humanitarian law and human rights; and the role of gender and women in peacekeeping.