Canada provides $3m to the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping

Centre

Accra, Feb. 4 GNA - Canada is providing three million dollars to the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre through the Canada-West Africa Peace Security Initiative.

This was contained in a statement sent to the Ghana News Agency by the Canadian High Commission on Wednesday.

The statement said Mr Jean-Pierre Bolduc, the Canadian High Commissioner, welcomed the inauguration of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre on January 24, in Accra.

It said the Canada-West Africa Peace Security Initiative is one component of the Canada Fund for Africa, established to fulfil commitments made at the G8 meeting in Kananaskis, Mexico, in 2002. Mr Bill Graham, Canadian Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the Kofi Annan Centre would become an important centre of excellence for enhancing African's capacity to manage conflicts in the Region.

He said: "As a recognised leader in peace support operations, Canada is pleased to support the centre in its early efforts to develop its programs and provide training to civilian and military personnel from West Africa who will participate in complex peace support operations in Africa and elsewhere."

Mr Aileen Carroll, Canadian Minister for International Cooperation, said peace, stability and good governance were integral blocks that addressed social, economics and environmental security.

He stressed that the opening of the Kofi Annan Centre emphasised the commitment of African countries to work together, and with the international community, for peace and prosperity on the continent. The statement noted that the Canadian Pearson Peacekeeping Centre had been engaged to partner with the Kofi Annan Centre in its inaugural stages to help develop the curriculum and train African instructors