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afrol News, 11 January - The armed forces of Côte d'Ivoire are broadening their training to encompass support for human rights and democratic rule, and are also planning to steps to support development and poverty reduction, according to a report by the UN development agency UNDP. - The moves are part of an effort to re-establish public trust diminished by election-related killings in 2000, and to support political stability and economic recovery, UNDP reports. "They also lend support to a national reconciliation forum, which met from October through December." Armed forces leader Brigadier General Mathias Doué, introduced the training initiative to representatives of the international community at UNDP Offices in Abidjan recently. The ministry of defence and civil protection then planned and held a seminar for military leaders on human rights and public order, supported by development partners, with technical assistance and funding from UNDP. The seminar focused on ways to maintain order without violating human rights and public freedoms. According to the UN agency, a workshop to prepare training modules on human rights was held in December, attended by military leaders, regional administrators, lawyers, and university scholars. Nouréini Tidjani-Serpos, Assistant Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and head of its Africa division, also participated. - The modules have since been finalized, and training of trainers and distribution of the modules to military units throughout the country are being carried out during the first quarter of the year, UNDP reports. El-Mostafa Benlamlih, UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator, recalled that the government, with support from UNDP, committed to promoting the rule of law, respect for human rights and support for human development in its good governance programme launched in July. The new military training initiative confirmed "that sustainable development would not be possible without human security," he said. According to UNDP, General Doué underscored that the success of the training depends on "the strong triangle" formed by the ministry of defense and civil protection setting government policy, military leaders carrying out the policy, and the UN system and other development partners providing support. UNDP says it is mobilizing resources along with other development partners to support the effort, and helped set up a donors' working group, including the European Commission, Canada, France, Italy and the United States, to provide technical expertise. According to the UN agency, the Ivorian armed forces are also planning to mobilize the technical capacity and resources of the military corps of engineers to build roads, hospitals, schools and health centres and help open up remote areas.
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