International Women’s Day: Gender Protection for Peace Support Operations
March 8, 2017
The U.S. Embassy in Rome and the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) team up on gender protection during peace support operations.
U.S. Embassy in Rome Chargé d’Affaires Kelly Degnan opened CoESPU’s 5th gender protection course and underscored the importance of training on women’s rights, gender equality, and combating violence against women in order to achieve our shared goal of peace and security. The initiative is a reflection of our determination to renew our commitment to human rights not just on March 8, but every day of the year.
What are Stability Police Units? These specialized police help fill the gap between military troops and civilian police, especially in support of UN operations, with their expertise in border security, election security, prison security, operations against organized crime, and high-risk patrolling.
The U.S.-Italy partnership on CoESPU dates back more than a decade. During the 2004 Sea Island Summit, the U.S. and Italy decided to address the critical global need for additional and better trained stability police units. Soon after, the CoESPU center was founded in Vicenza, Italy. The United States is proud to provide support for the center’s programs under the U.S. Global Peace Operations Initiative with financing and expertise.
