The Australian High Commission Head of Mission and Chargรฉ dโaffaires to Fiji, Mr. John Williams yesterday officiated the opening of the first United Nations Staff Officers (UNSO) and United Nations Military Observers Course (UNMOC) to be conducted in the country at the Blackrock Peacekeeping Training Facility in Nadi. The course was made possible through the continuous cooperation between the Australian Defence Force Peace Operation Training Centre and the RFMF Joint Taskforce Command.
While addressing the course participants, Mr. Williams said that the event marked an important point in the evolution of Blackrock Camp and an important step forward on its journey to accreditation as a central regional training center for peacekeeping and humanitarian response.
In addition to this, Mr. Williams also mentioned that by launching the UNMOC and UNSO courses in Fiji, the country has opened its doors to UN accredited training opportunities in the region. He said that this will surely assist in confronting security challenges in the region.
The three-week course, which is always conducted in Australia, will include the participation of 33 officers from both the RFMF and ADF. With a specific focus on preparing staff officers or military observers, the course will assist the officers with the relevant course qualification prior to a UN deployment.
