How Can Soldiers from Different Countries Speak a Common Language in Peacekeeping Operations

{image1}What kind of training is needed by staff officers for multinational peacekeeping operations in order to be able to apply compatible operating concepts and standards, even though they come from different countries was in the focus of a study visit to the Peace Support Operations Training Centre (PSOTC) in Sarajevo organized by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) 16-18. December 2018.

The visit was organized with the aim of introducing the work of PSOTC, the courses that are being realized there, as well as their experience in using the available mechanisms for building interoperability and its implementation in training for peace support operations. The visit was organized during the course for staff officers in multinational peacekeeping operations. Representatives of BCSP, together with TV Prva, had the opportunity to attend practical exercises “Negotiating and conducting meetings” and “Working with media and interview techniques”.

{image2}PSOTC is the only training centre for peacekeeping operations in the region with the accreditation of Partnership for Peace. PSOTC organizes training courses for peacekeeping operations where representatives from all countries in the region, as well as from the UK, Germany, Caucasus countries etc., take part as participants. During the visit it was talked about how decisions are made on the operational level when multiple countries are involved in the peacekeeping operation, how the work in headquarters of a multinational operation is organized, what certain officers who come there have to know to fit in, how are exercises on maps conducted (MAPEX), and also what benefits countries like Serbia can have from sending staff officers to multinational operations.

One of the goals of the visit was strengthening cooperation between researchers and journalists – researchers had the chance to inform and give directions to journalists what to pay attention to during reporting, so that they present the most relevant information to the public, while the journalists pointed to the researchers which topics can attract the attention of the public.

The study visit was organized within the project “Exploring the best possible cooperation: what role for NATO in Serbia and the region?“, which is supported by the British Embassy in Belgrade.  BCSP through this project aims to contribute to the enhancement of Serbia – NATO cooperation and to placing credible information on NATO's activities in the Western Balkans.