I
appreciate the opportunity to speak to everyone today at the graduation of the third round of CoESPU training. This is my first visit to CoESPU – a critical component of what the leaders of the G8 countries, including President Bush – agreed to at Sea Island in 2004. I, myself, am a graduate of a Naval War College program and found the opportunity to learn from, and the relationships I developed with, students from countries around the world to be invaluable. I would strongly encourage you all to stay in touch with each other in a close network of CoESPU graduates.
Italy has done a superb job establishing CoESPU, which is an international training center to help address the critical “security gap” that so often exists between the civilian police and military troops in peace operations today. The UN has recognized this security gap that stability police fill and has been providing Formed Police Units (FPU) to recent peace operations in Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti. The UN also anticipates an urgent need for SPU's in Sudan.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Security
Michael W. Coulter addresses the CoESPU graduating class.
CoESPU is the only international training center in the world solely dedicated to increasing the number of international stability police trained for peace operations. The fact that India, Jordan, Cameroon, Kenya, and Senegal all decided to participate in CoESPU is a testament to your countries' dedication to enhancing their capability to supply these types of critical units to current and future peace operations missions.
As you well know, CoESPU utilizes a train-the-trainer approach to increase the number of stability police for peace operations. Therefore, the first critical step – attending and graduating from CoESPU – has already taken place.
The next step – training others in your home country – is more difficult, but is equally important, not only for the long-term viability of CoESPU, but also for the overarching goal of increasing the number and ability of stability police trained to participate in peace operations.
It is always challenging to try and successfully implement a system of train-the-trainer. However, CoESPU can and will provide mobile assistance teams to support your efforts to train others in your home country. I understand that the first mobile assistance team just completed its first visit to India and Jordan. Additional visits with other CoESPU countries will occur in the coming months.
I cannot stress enough how important it is that you – the CoESPU graduates – take what you have learned here and use it to train others in your home country in these critical skills so that additional stability police capacity can be developed and can deploy to peace operations. Once the train-the-trainer process is fully operational, it should result in hundreds if not thousands of additional stability police units trained (and deployed) to peace operations. At that point, we will have truly made a difference in our ongoing efforts to stabilize crises around the world.
Making a difference is at the heart of the charter and mandate of CoESPU. The U.S. is proud to stand with our Italian colleagues and will continue to support CoESPU’s efforts to accomplish this important goal.
Thanks again for the opportunity to say a few words to you all on this important day.
Additional Resources
• “Stability Police Trainer Class Graduates” – a www.state.gov webpage
• Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU), “Third CoESPU Class for Middle Management and High Level Stability Police Officers” – Remarks by Consul General Deborah E. Graze, Vicenza, September 21, 2006
• Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU), “A Salute to the New Graduates” – Remarks by Consul General Deborah E. Graze, Vicenza, June 15, 2006
• “The United States Salutes the New Graduates of the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU)” – Remarks by General Leonardo Leso, Commander of CoESPU, and Remarks by David Bustamante, Senior Officer in Charge, Vicenza, February 24, 2006
|
|
