Background
Since the Security Council first established a peacekeeping mission, the operational environment has evolved significantly, growing both in size and complexity. During this period, military units have continuously gained in prominence and today they are a key element for mandate implementation in several peacekeeping operations. While Military Unit performance has sometimes become the yardstick against which the success of mission is measured, it is arguably also that military unit proper employment is one of the most challenging aspects for both mission leadership and unit commanders. The Department of Peace Operations has developed a suite of specialized training materials (STM) and reinforcement training packages (RTP) to prepare specific military units for their deployment in UN missions. At the tactical level, the assessment and planning of engagement is likely to simultaneously involve elements from the Protection of Civilians (POC), Child Protection and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence realms. These aspects are included with engagement and other enabling military activities in support of other mission partners.  In order to reflect these realities and prepare peacekeepers for the multi-dimensional realities on the ground, this training package aims to demonstrate the complex linkages between engagement tasks and provide training guidance on how to support the UN Infantry Battalion (UNIBAT) mission.

Aim
Following the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial in Vancouver, Canada, Defence Ministers announced pledges that included a commitment to increase:

• the safety for vulnerable and at-risk populations;
• the engagement with women in conflict communities; and
• Integration of women at all levels and roles to achieve long-term sustainable peace.

As the UN infantry battalion (UNIBAT) is the predominant force structure in a UN peacekeeping mission to help establish a safe and secure environment, engagement capabilities are needed to support the accomplishment of those pledges. The United Nations Engagement Platoon (UN-EP) is a tactical level military capability that supports human terrain mapping for the UNIBAT commander. The purpose of the UN-EP is to establish, support and promote sustained dialogue with mission stakeholders. Gender balanced, the UN-EP can access a larger and more representative cross section of the community which will provide the UNIBAT commander with a critical level of fidelity about the activities, concerns, and risks within their area of responsibility.

The aim of these training materials is to provide troop contributing countries with a comprehensive training package that addresses the technical requirements needed to engage with civil sector stakeholders in peacekeeping operations. The RTP combines conceptual, legal, and operational aspects to support the tactical planning of UN-EP to operate in UNIBAT operations. This package includes scenario-based exercises (SBE), as well as a larger capstone SBE, which can be run at the end of the training to strengthen the understanding of the planning processes at the tactical level for peacekeeping operations. The training package is designed for application in both pre-deployment and in-mission training.

Target audience
The target audience of this reinforcement training package is personnel identified as staff officers, platoon commanders and soldiers who during their UN deployment may be assigned to, employ, coordinate or perform missions within the UN-EP. The materials may lend themselves to a wider audience. The audience for this RTP package also includes military decision makers, leaders, staffs, and soldiers at the tactical level from  Sector headquarters to company level. Additionally, it is noted military leadership from member states at their national peacekeeping training institutions, course directors, and instructors of military schools will benefit from these materials and from the training guidance.

Structure of the training materials 

United Nations Engagement Platoon Reinforcement Training Packages 

Module 1: Conceptual Framework
Module 2: Legal Framework
Module 3: Operational Framework

Annexes:

• Annex A: Powerpoint Slide Presentations
• Annex B: Scenario-based Exercise (SBE), Reference Materials
• Annex C: Hand outs
• Annex D: Checklists
• Annex E: Lexicon

French Version