NEWPORT -- On 30 August 2017, 16 participants from 11 countries graduated as the first class of international military students to complete the new DIILS "Legal Aspects of Peacekeeping"(LAPKO) resident course.  Subject matter experts from the United Nations joined DIILS instructors with current peacekeeping experience.  They discussed relevant legal best practices and helped the participants learn how to incorporate these lessons learned into their own peacekeeping planning and implementation processes.  Legal advisors and peacekeeping training center staff found the course particularly useful

The DIILS LAPKO resident course offered a comprehensive analysis of the legal aspects of United Nations-sanctioned peacekeeping missions.  It detailed the practical implications of the agreed legal basis for action on the mission, the rules of engagement challenges that derive from the respective UN authorities and the development of international agreements associated with peacekeeping missions. In addition, case studies and practical exercises enabled participants to exchange ideas and experience.  The three-week LAPKO course included a visit to New York City, during which participants attended presentations by UN officials and visited UN Headquarters.

LAPKO participant comments:

"The course instructors and faculty members are outstanding.  They provide clarity, search for new angles of analysis, and find better course material to teach and explain to the class."

"This course was essential for us to understand and learn about legal aspects of UN PKO, and included important subjects.  One of the highlights was the classes held in New York, which allowed us to become familiarized with UN HQ staff."

Participants “were equipped with a basic legal foundation in United Nations peacekeeping in order to improve our ability to appreciate and handle all kinds of legal matters in a UN peacekeeping operation environment and to implement the mandate more effectively."

I learned about "UN expectations with regard to legal issues, as I am dealing with my organization's contribution to UN PKO. Now, I can provide solid advice to my commanders in terms of compliance with UN and International legal standards."