ABOUT ASSOCIATION OF ASIA-PACIFIC PEACE OPERATIONS TRAINING CENTERS (AAPTC)

1. Background. The idea of establishing an Asia – Pacific Regional Peace Operations Training Association was conceived in Asia-Pacific Peacekeeping Training Center Commandants’ Conference (APPTCCC) held from 28 June to 01 July 2009 at Hotel Westin, Dhaka and Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Training (BIPSOT), Rajendrapur Cantonment, Bangladesh. The conference was co-hosted by Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) under United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) and BIPSOT. The discussion sessions were principally designed with a theme on ‘Cooperation Efforts to Enhance Peacekeeping Training’ within the Asia-Pacific Region. The idea was first floated by BIPSOT in 2008 and with the direct assistance from GPOI, this conference came into being for the first time with the aim ‘To Develop a Network Between the Peacekeeping Centers Through Exchange of Knowledge, Experience, Training Curriculum to Face the Future Complex Scenario’. Total 23 delegates from the nine (09) member countries namely Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand attended the conference. Delegates from GPOI, UNDPKO, Integrated Training Service (ITS), Commandant, BIPSOT and selected Bangladesh Armed Forces members also attended the conference.

2. Asia-Pacific Regional Association Concept. On the first day of the conference on 28 June 2009 an initiating speech was delivered by Commandant BIPSOT where the idea on Asia-Pacific Regional Association was generated to the house. Subsequently all the themes were discussed revolving this idea. As such, all participants had fruitful discussions on requirement, feasibility and prospects of establishing a Regional Association in Asia-Pacific Region. All could identify the common requirements of training cooperation with each other and the requirement for a common forum. Finally, all participants agreed in principle for a regional association for Asia Pacific Region and BIPSOT has been made responsible for drafting the guiding principle. The name of the association was selected as ‘Association of Asia-Pacific Peace Operations Training Centers (AAPTC)’.

3. AAPTC Annual Conferences.

Year and Duration Country Theme Countries Participated
2010, 01 – 04 Aug Kathmandu, Nepal Methods and Means of Achieving Cooperative Objectives Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and USA
2011, 12 – 15 July Jakarta, Indonesia Strengthening Peacekeeping Through Community Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, New Zealand, Thailand and USA
                            2012, 16 – 19 July                    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Strengthening UN Peacekeeping Missions Through Training  Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, New Zealand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and USA 
2013, 01 – 04 July  Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia  Identifying and Implementing Training Improvements to Enhance Mission Performance  Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand and USA 
                        2014, 01 – 04 April     Kathmandu, Nepal  Leveraging the Strength of AAPTC: Developing a Regional Submission to Address UN Training Needs  Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand and USA 
                            2015, 04 – 07 May                 Auckland, New Zealand  Promoting Best Practices for Contemporary Peace Operations Training  Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, China, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, PNG, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, UK, and Vietnam