The Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, manages the two primary U.S. security assistance programs focused on building international peacekeeping capacity: the Global Peace Operations Initiative and the African Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership. Both programs are implemented in close partnership with the Department of Defense.
Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI)
The vision for GPOI is to work collaboratively with U.S. and international stakeholders to achieve and sustain operational effectiveness in peace operations and promote international peace and security. In support of this vision, the GPOI mission is to strengthen international capacity and capabilities to execute UN and regional peace operations by enhancing partner countries’ sustainable, self-sufficient peace operations proficiencies and building the capacity of the UN and regional organizations to conduct such missions.
GPOI was launched in 2005 as the U.S. contribution to the G8 Action Plan for Expanding Global Capability for Peace Support Operations, adopted at the 2004 G8 Sea Island Summit. With a total budget of more than $1.3 billion from Fiscal Years (FY) 2005-2021, GPOI funding is applied to accomplish the following objectives:
- Build Self-sufficient Peace Operations Training Capacity in Partner Countries: Assisting partner countries to establish or strengthen the institutions required to self-sufficiently execute core peace operations training capabilities for military personnel, including the development of national trainer cadre, refurbishment of training facilities, refinement of training materials, and provision of training equipment. So far 63 percent of countries have achieved self-sufficiency in core peace operations training while active partners. Achievement of self-sufficiency does not end GPOI partnership, but enables the partnership to focus on other objectives, such as those listed below.
- Support Partner Countries’ Development and Employment of Critical Enabling Capabilities: Providing training, equipment, and advisory assistance to help 37 partner countries develop and employ 67 critical enablers, such as engineer, aviation, medical, logistics, signals, riverine, and counter-improvised explosive device capabilities. 67 percent of these partner capabilities have been, are currently, or have been selected to deploy to UN and African Union (AU) peace operations.
- Enhance Partner Country Operational Readiness and Sustainment Capabilities: Providing specialized or mission-specific pre-deployment training, technical/advisory assistance, strategic level training, and training or deployment equipment to improve and maintain partner countries’ operational readiness capabilities to deploy to and sustain units in peace operations. While active GPOI partners represent 38 percent of troop contributing countries (TCCs), they deploy 57 percent of the UN’s military peacekeepers, compared to non-GPOI countries that represent 43 percent of TCCs and only provide 24 percent of UN military peacekeepers.
- Strengthen Partner Country Rapid Deployment Capabilities: GPOI assists select partner countries to strengthen and institutionalize capabilities and processes to rapidly deploy (< 60 days) to emerging crises.
- Expand the Role of Women and Enhance Gender Integration: GPOI encourages women’s participation, integration, and leadership in peace operations; trains women peacekeepers; and integrates gender-related topics (such as preventing gender-based violence) into training for all peacekeepers. Since 2007, more than 12,000 female peacekeepers have participated in GPOI facilitated training. Moreover, while active GPOI partners represent 38 percent of TCCs, they provide 62 percent of women military peacekeepers, compared to non-GPOI countries that represent 43 percent of TCCs and only provide 19 percent of female military peacekeepers.
- Build UN and Regional Organization Capabilities: GPOI provides assistance to build the UN and regional organizations’ capabilities to strengthen peace operations. For example, GPOI has funded 22 projects to help the UN develop doctrine, guidance documents, military unit manuals, and training materials, as well as to enhance military performance evaluation, execute UN training events, and provide advisory and technical assistance.
Established in FY 2015, APRRP was announced as a targeted, three-to-five-year initiative to help generate and rapidly deploy peacekeepers from six partner countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. The program’s mission is to build, strengthen, and institutionalize capabilities to rapidly respond to crises on the African continent.
APRRP complements GPOI’s broader capacity building efforts by focusing on developing high demand enabling capabilities (e.g., airlift; command, control, communications, and information systems (C3IS); engineering; logistics; medical; and FPUs) that are persistent shortfalls in UN and regional peace operations, and which underpin capacity to deploy a rapid response force. Program efforts are designed to be full capability packages, which include equipment, equipment-related training, and training on required skill sets. APRRP’s budget is approximately $267,500,000 from Fiscal Years (FY) 2015-2017. As program implementation continues, three partner countries developing rapid deployment capabilities with APRRP assistance pledged to elevate critical enabling units to the UN’s Rapid Deployment Level (RDL).
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