News and Views…
Fik besøg i torsdags. En journalist fra BBC havde gravet frem, at jeg fik startet minerydning i Vestsahara i min MINURSO-force commander periode 2005-2007. Det holdt noget hårdt dengang, der skulle skaffes både penge og ekspertise. Der var modstand fra dele af FN-systemet og visse lande. Med god hjælp af UN Mine Action Center i New York og penge fra Princess of Wales Memorial Fund (prinsesse Diana´s fond) lykkedes det. Der var meget at tage fat på – 6,5 millioner miner og UXO-er og mange dræbte og sårede hvert år. Programmet bringes på BBC World Services (radio)i foråret 2018.
Push for Olfi page: ” Tåbeligt at flytte Hærens regimenter over i de operative brigader! – OLFI “
See the discussion on the future organisation of the Danish Defence at www.olfi.dk – and the views of Kurt Mosgaard.
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Western Sahara was the subject in Danish Radio P1 “Orientering” on 6th July 2017. Kurt Mosgaard was interviewed and provided information on the risk of a renewal of the armed conflict in the nearly one hour long broadcast. Listen to the program (mostly in the Danish language): www.dr.dk/radio/p1/orientering/orientering-2017-07-06
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New course – Security and health for expatriates and international travellers from 12th to 16th of June in Viborg, Denmark…
PRESSEMEDDELELSE/Danish Press release…
Målrettet kursus for medarbejdere der skal arbejde i udlandet
Danske virksomheder og organisationer udsender mange og betroede medarbejdere til andre lande, hvor kultur, sikkerhed og sundhedsforhold er meget anderledes end i Danmark. Sikkerheden og helbredet for de udsendte medarbejdere og evt. medfølgende ægtefæller og børn bør forberedes – af hensyn til de ansatte men også for at deres indsats bliver effektiv
I perioden 12. til 16. juni tilbyder Mosgaard Peace and Security i samarbejde med en række andre eksperter på området et kursus, som skal forberede kommende udsendte og hyppigt rejsende til opgaven. Kurset retter sig også mod pårørende og HR-afdelinger, som forestår udsendelser af medarbejdere.
Kurset Sikkerhed og helbred for udsendte og rejsende gennemføres på Asmildkloster Landbrugsskole i Viborg med afstikkere til bl.a. Randers Regnskov, hvor modulet ”kryb og kravl” gennemføres.
Kurset omfatter en vekslen mellem teorilektioner og praktiske øvelser over en række emner: forhandlinger med myndigheder, kulturforståelse, effektiv anvendelse af tolk, forhold over for slanger og insekter, sikkerhed i hjemmet, på hotel og under transport, sygdomsforebyggelse, førstehjælp, forhold overfor tyverier og røverier, imødegåelse af korruption og bestikkelse, evakueringsplanlægning og –forberedelse, stress management, undgå gidseltagning, rejseforberedelse, kontakt til familie og venner, handlebaner/rollespil og hvordan det er, at vende hjem igen.
Kurset gennemføres på dansk med enkelte indlæg på engelsk.
Nærmere oplysninger: oberst Kurt Mosgaard, telefon 25546405, e-mail km@mosgaardconsulting.com . Hjemmeside www.mosgaardconsulting.com.
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Upcoming presentation on Western Sahara at a seminar in Stockholm, Sweden on 19th April 2017…
Inbjudan seminarium Västsahara 19 april 2017_lång version
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Blog at Globalnyt.dk….
Civile veteraner – hvor er I henne
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Presentation on Morocco and Western Sahara to a group of young and engaged international students at the University of Malmø on 8th March 2017.
During the night of 17th-18th of February 2016 violence broke out in a UN protected camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) was in Malakal, South Sudan. Shortly after soldiers wearing uniforms from the country´s military, the South Sudan People´s Liberation Army (SPLA) entered the camp and took part in the fighting until the UN troops pushed them out late in the afternoon of the 18th February. During the fighting at least 30 IDPs were killed, 120 wounded and up to 29.000 IDPs on the run. The UN troops and UNMISS were blamed for acting slowly and ineffectively throughout much of the fighting.
Unfortunately this is not the only case were the UN has failed to protect civilians. Rwanda with 800.000 killed during three horrible months of 1994, Srebrenica in Bosnia in 1995 with 8.000 men and boys killed are both well-known incidents. The UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has pointed to ten cases from 2011-2013 in Darfur, DRC and South Sudan where the UN also failed to prevent the killing of civilians. This was also the case in Juba, South Sudan during the July 2016 fightings.
See my blog (Danish) at Globalnyt.dk on how the Kenyan Force Commander was appointed the scapegoat for the UN failures….
In the first part of 2015 the UN conducted a review of its peace operations with the aim of making them more effective. The review was conducted by a panel of experts appointed by the UN Secretary General With around 16 peacekeeping missions and additional political missions in various war-thorn regions the World need the UN to be able to fulfill its mandate as the primary body for maintaining international peace and security. The report and its recommendations was be presented and discussed at the UN General Assembly in September 2015.
Western countries should not only participate in the discussions but should also seriously consider how they could best support the implementation of the recommendations. More well-trained and equipped units and staffs to UN missions; Support troop contributing 3rd World countries in preparing for UN missions; effective measures to prevent UN civilians and soldiers from committing sexual abuse; more focus on mediation and preventive measures and more.
Even small countries like the Nordic can make a positive difference if they are not only present in the halls of UN in New York but also make themselves available on the ground in the various conflict areas.
Recent and on-upcoming events and activities:
- Peoples Meeting (Folkemødet) June 2016 – presentation and discussion on Danish Defence with Danish NGO “Folk og Sikkerhed” (People and Security)
- Visit to China June 2016 – meetings and presentations at the Chinese National Defence University (NDA) and the Chinese Institute for International Studies (CIIS)..
- Briefing for the international Human Security class at the University of Aarhus
- Hearing on the conflict in Western Sahara, Borup Højskole, Copenhagen
- HIV/AIDS project i Kampala/Uganda with Rotary Holstebro, ongoing
- Tumor project with Hospice Ninja in Uganda with Rotary Holstebro, ongoing
- Development of Danish/Nordic concept for Mobile Training Teams (MTT) in support of UN peacekeeping missions for the Danish Defence Command (VFK), the Danish Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ongoing
- Briefing for the Veteran Center in Aarhus on the 23rd of November 2016
- Folk og Sikkerhed (People and Security) Conference at Christiansborg, Copenhagen on the 25th of November 2016
- Head of Mission at the World Military Championship in Shooting, Doha, Qatar from 12th to 20th November 2016
- Board Meeting, Danish UN Association on the 1st of December 2016
- Speaker and organiser of seminar on sale to UN in cooperation with CenSec and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Karup/Jutland on 9th January 2017.
- Meeting with the Danish Minister for Defence on the Danish Armed Forces, January 2017
- Develop and offer new course C-HEAT (Challenged and Hostile Environment Awareness Training) for persons travelling to or stationed in countries where the security level is difficult. Topics: health, first aid, food security, travel and home safety, traffic safety, snakes and bugs, corruption, negation/mediation, risk handling, use of interpreter, reduce risk for hostage taking. One week (April/May/June) 2017 in cooperation with our business partner “Precis”.
Article on United Nations peacekeeping operations – challenges – Royal Danish Defence Academy and China based on meetings in Beijing, China in June 2016.
Blog in “Globalnyt.dk” on UN and South Sudan (Danish language)… https://globalnyt.dk/content/udpege-en-syndebuk