Opening of Canada-funded Peacekeeping Documentation Centre

Accra, November 21, 2006 – On Thursday, November 23, 2006 at 09:30 a.m., His Excellency Mr. Donald Bobiash, Acting High Commissioner of Canada, will join the Honourable Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, the Honourable Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of the Interior and Ms. Suzanne Monaghan, President of Canada’s Pearson Peacekeeping Centre to officially open the new Peacekeeping Documentation Centre. This Centre is located at Ghana Police Service Headquarters on Ring Road.

Since civilian police were first deployed to a United Nations peace operations mission in the Congo in the 1960s, their role has evolved substantially. Responsibilities and functions have expanded from monitoring the local police services to include training, mentoring and advising on human rights issues. New police organizations with the ability to respond to the complex challenges of maintaining peace and security in a post-conflict environment have had to be created.

The Peacekeeping Documentation Centre is part of the CAD$3.12 million (approximately 25.161 billion cedis) Canadian International Development Agency- (CIDA) funded West Africa Police Project. Implemented by the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, the project, begun in February 2005 and due to be completed in March 2007, was created to strengthen West African capacity to provide leadership to civilian police missions within peace operations. It has involved assessment of capacities of existing sub-regional and national organizations, as well as implementation of recommendations coming out of the assessments. These include development of institutional capacity, review of national police structures for deployment in peace operations, discussions between donors and West African leaders and visits to UN missions.

Among the items supplied by Canada to the Documentation Centre are computer hardware and software, a television, digital video camera, digital projector and screen, and other office equipment.

The establishment of the Peacekeeping Documentation Centre accords with the priorities of the Ghana Police Service. These include the development of facilities to prepare civilian police with the skills required for effective participation in peace support operations. Equipped with computers, resource materials and video equipment, the Centre will also serve researchers and civilians.

Canada’s Pearson Peacekeeping Centre is an international leader in peace operations thinking and learning and supports Canada’s contribution to international peace and security by offering education, training, capacity building and research in all aspects of peace operations. For more information, visit www.peaceoperations.org.

For further information contact:

Cindy Kleiman High Commission of Canada