— awarded prize for Best Foreign Officer

GUYANA Defence Force (GDF) Major Sven Douglas has returned from New Delhi, India, where he successfully completed the Training of the Trainers for United Nations Deployment Course 02.

The course was conducted over a three-week period, from March 14 to April 1, 2022.

According to the GDF, Major Douglas, who was among 19 officers from various countries undergoing training on the programme, is the Officer Commanding of the Colonel Ulric Officer Cadet School (CUPOCS); Standard Officer Course 54.

Major Douglas graduated with the highest examination score and was awarded the prize for Best Foreign Officer.

The Training of the Trainers for United Nations Deployment Course, according to the GDF, was designed to enable officers to function effectively within the United Nations’ environment and train fellow peacekeepers.

Upon successful completion, the GDF noted that officers are competent to serve as Commanders as part of their military contingents, prepare contingents for the conduct of negotiations in an area of conflict, carry out observation duties, manage check-points, and organise convoy-protection and escort duties.

“The curriculum saw participants being exposed to an array of core focus areas such as the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations – history, evolution and types, legal aspects, mandate and mission and mission analysis, organisation and role – functioning of Joint Operations Centre and Joint Mission Analysis Centre and thematic subjects such as Child Protection, Protection of Civilians, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Conflicted Related Sexual Violence, Civilian-Military Coordination and Quick Impact Projects amongst others,” GDF noted in a press release on Monday.

Meanwhile, the High Commissioner of India in Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa has congratulated Major Douglas on successfully completing the United Nations Pre-Deployment Training (UNPDT) – Training of the Trainers for United Nations Deployment Course held in India and for graduating with the highest examination score and being awarded the prize for Best Foreign Officer.

The course was held in New Delhi at the Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India. It was conducted over a three-week period from March 14 to April 1, 2022.

Major Douglas was among 19 officers from various countries undergoing training on the programme. He is the Officer Commanding of the Colonel Ulric Officer Cadet School (CUPOCS); Standard Officer Course 54.

“The Government of India is very happy to have facilitated this training to a friendly partner country like Guyana with full funding. This is part of an ever increasing partnership with Guyana, especially in the capacity building of GDF with over 19 training slots allotted to Guyana since 2021 (eight officers have finished training in India already in various courses, two officers are leaving tomorrow for India while nine more are due to go later this year),” the Indian High Commission noted on Monday.

“Government of India has further added 10 additional slots for the GDF in addition to the above in 2022. This makes the current programme of cooperation with GDF the largest ever so far between the two countries. India continues to engage with various governmental institutions in Guyana for skills upgradation and technical expertise enhancement, under its South-South Cooperation model,” the Indian High Commission further stated.