Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units
What is CoESPU
The Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units is a training center and a doctrinal hub created by the Italian government in March 2005, in accordance with the G8 Action Plan “Expanding Global Capability for Peace Support Operations” (PSOs) . This initiative is based on the international expertise developed by the Carabinieri, having served in several peace-keeping missions in the last three decades.
Targets
The CoESPU targets are: to operate TRAINING PROGRAMS, including “train the trainer” courses and “Mobile Assistance Teams” (MATs) to promote INTEROPERABILITY principles, also providing interoperability training with the military forces and other components; to develop COMMON DOCTRINE and operational procedures; to be active part of the DOCTRINAL NETWORK worldwide, interacting with International Organizations, academic institutes and research centers in the relevant areas
The Center is open to all those countries, particularly the African ones, interested in establishing their own Stability Police Units (SPUs), and employ those units in PSOs under the UN or other International Organizations.
Doctrinal Hub
Working as a “doctrinal hub”, the aim of the Center is to develop doctrine and common operational procedures for the employment of Stability Police Units in PSOs. Multinational linkages have been established with the most active institution in the peacekeeping area, such as the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the Pearson Peacekeeping Training Center, the Defense Institute for International Legal Studies, the US Peacekeeping Support Operation Institute etc. Moreover, the Center is the “facilitator” of the Stability Police Units area in the newly created internet portal “INPROL” (International Network to Promote the Rule of Law [1]) International seminars and workshops have been organized to spread and share the acquired knowledge with other bodies, first of all with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Two “UN Formed Police Units Command Development seminars”, sponsored by DPKO have been hosted at CoESPU, with the participation of UN Police Commissioners, FPU Commanders, FPU Coordinators from several UN Missions, along with members of NATO, EU, OSCE, USIP and others organizations.
Training Center
The Center offers two different levels of courses, one for senior officers and one for middle ranked personnel. The main purpose is to prepare the attendees to establish Stability Police Units once back in their home countries.
- HIGH LEVEL / STAFF OFFICERS
Participants: 40 Senior Officers (Major - Colonel/or equivalent civilian) Duration: 5 weeks; Frequency: 4 per year.
- MIDDLE MANAGEMENT
Participants: 100 Junior Officers/NCOs (Platoon/Squad leaders, Staff Sergeants/or civilian equivalent) Duration: 7 weeks Frequency: 5 per year. All the participants should have good police skills.
The following are the main topics of the courses:
- International and Humanitarian Law
- Peace Support Operations
- SPU planning and organization
- Rules of Engagement
- Force Protection
- SPU tactical employment
- Operational planning and procedures
- Police techniques in hostile environment
Where
The “Chinotto” compound, located in Vicenza, Italy, approx. 70 km (45 miles) from Venice.
The facilities, recently refurbished, include:
- board and lodging for 300 people;
- teaching rooms with hi-tech equipment;
- multimedia and internet rooms;
- an indoor shooting range;
- a gym;
- external training areas;
- a library;
- general services (barber, laundry, ATM, etc.)