Training in Peacekeeping
Szöveg: Sándor Galambos | 2016. május 26. 9:00On Monday, 23 May an International Military Observer Course (IMOC) started in the Hungarian Defence Forces Peace Support Training Center (HDF PSTC, Szolnok). Speaking at the course opening, Brig.-Gen. Gábor Horváth, Acting Land Forces Chief, HDF Joint Force Command (HDF JFC) wished the students of the courses every success with their work.
The 31st International Military Observer Course (IMOC) has started with the participation of seven Hungarian and 23 foreign officers from 22 countries (Australia, Burkina Faso, China, East Timor, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Pakistan, Palestine, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Ukraine and Zambia), who are preparing for the execution of unarmed military observer tasks. Their Finnish, German, Croatian, Serbian and Hungarian instructors (the latter including volunteer operational reservists) all have considerable experience in military observer duties on foreign missions, and a number of invited lecturers are also here to assist the program of education.
In the first few days, the students enrolled in the course mostly attend academic classes to learn the basics of peacekeeping, its UN principles and guidelines, the ways of cooperation with international organizations, and the rules of radio communication, negotiating techniques, patrolling and observers’ duties. The second week focuses on field training, so that they can put into practice the knowledge gained in the classroom. They will participate in various situational training exercises in the Szolnok barracks and the region of Egerbakta. The third week of the training will end with a two-day final exercise, where the students are required to demonstrate their newly acquired skills and competencies. They are going to perform observer tasks in a fictitious area of operations, including patrols, arms control, inspections and “negotiations" with representatives of the opposing sides.
Organized by the HDF Peace Support Training Centre, the International Military Observer Course is a training program recognized by the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UN DPKO), and the UN last renewed its accreditation by another four years in April 2015. The popularity of the training course conducted in Hungary is shown by the fact that so far it has been attended by some 600 students from more than 60 countries.
Photos by the author
