The training course, which was taught Tuesday through Thursday, was organized in collaboration with the government of New Zealand, through UNDP, with the participation of 10 peacekeepers from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, Djibouti and Egypt.

The event was inaugurated by New Zealand's Minister of Defense Peeni Henare, who is on a visit to Egypt, alongside CCCPA Director General Ahmed Abdel-Latif, Ambassador of New Zealand to Egypt Greg Lewis, and UNDP Egypt Deputy Resident Representative Sylvain Merlen.

High-level representatives from the Egyptian ministries of foreign affairs, defense, and interior also attended the inauguration ceremony.

The training aimed to advance gender-responsive peacekeeping by equipping Arab military and police UN peacekeepers with the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their duties during deployment.

It also sought to deepen their understanding of the implementation of the agenda of UN Security Council resolution on Women, Peace and Security, thus enabling them to better integrate the aspect of gender into UN peacekeeping operations. The training also focused on upholding UN standards of conduct, as well as addressing gender-based violence against women in armed conflicts and dealing with sexual exploitation and abuse.

The event coincides with the anniversary of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, first adopted in 2000.

“New Zealand is proud to be a longstanding contributor to global peacekeeping efforts,” Henare said, affirming that its contributions in this regard embody the value it places on promoting peace and stability.

He expressed his appreciation of the CCCPA’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda training course for providing “the opportunity to speak with peacekeepers from the region, as understanding how conflict impacts genders in different ways is an important skill.”

The minister also asserted that “the skills of peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution remain as important as they ever have been; this is why the work of organizations such as the CCCPA is key.”

Abdel-Latif expressed appreciation of New Zealand's government for its support of this training programme, which “stands as a true testament to the power of partnerships in advancing peace and security.”

Egypt and New Zealand are strong supporters of UN peacekeeping and the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, he added, noting that the training reflects a concrete commitment to strengthening the capacities of Arab peacekeeping personnel on gender perspectives and women, peace, and security.

 “The training also builds on the success of the 2019 first action-oriented 'Training of Trainers on Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Peacekeeping' that the Center delivered to African practitioners in cooperation with the government of New Zealand, marking a step towards expanding collaboration in this area to the Arab world,” Ambassador Abdel-Latif added.

Founded in 1994 by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the CCCPA is an Egyptian public agency specialized in training, capacity building, and research in the fields of peace and security in Africa and the Arab region. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry heads the board of directors of the CCCPA.