An Cosantóir

11 CULTURAL PROPERTY PROTECTION TRAINING AT UNTSI BREAKS NEW GROUND to prepare for and deliver safe and secure elections during a time of rising tension between the region's multi-ethnic communities, and a potential spillover into outright conflict. Given the risk of looting or attack on the different communities' cultural property and the wea- ponisation of heritage sites by combatants, a second element of the deployment was to provide support to the national authorities for the protection of a park surround- ed by historic buildings housing government ministries, St Wilfred's Roman Catholic cathedral, and Wilfland's National Archives. The group was tasked with preparing a CPP brief for the Force Commander back at UNTSI the following day. As often happens in conflict or disaster situations, some of the expectations of Wilfland's 'local authorities', 'law enforcement officers' and 'heritage experts' during the role-play exercises, differed from, and went beyond the Peacekeepers' mandate. This caused some animat- ed debates and not a little diplomacy to find common ground for actionable tasks to be included in the rec- ommendations to the Force Commander that would not compromise the Mission, whilst reassuring worried authorities and heritage experts that they could count on the Peacekeepers' support. The roleplay highlighted a range of threats that could arise to CP in theatre where Peacekeepers are deployed, and the different solutions that could be found to ensure the safety of heritage sites, historic monuments, and cultural artefacts. The importance of CPP as a means of gaining trust rather than alienating local communi- ties, was an important take away from the field day. Pte O'Keefe, a veteran of many Peacekeeping deployments, and keeper of the military museum in Kilkenny, summed it up when he said: "I can see how CPP has not just one, but many different angles. It has made me curious to know more." For Professor Stone, this first UNTSI course on CPP was the very welcome culmination of a journey that started in 2013, when two members of UNIFIL joined a CPP train- ing, being run for LAF. "This course has been, we hope, the first of an annual event at UNTSI," Professor Stone remarked during his summing up. "We also hope other UN Schools will develop similar courses" (a comment on the first day of this training was:) 'why has no-one told us about this before' neatly encapsulates the need." CPP Training visit to the Curragh Military Museum. Maj. Friel briefing the group CPP Training participants visit the Curragh Military Museuem. Class Photograph CPP Training participants being briefed by Maj. Robert Friel and Prof. Peter Stone during a visit to the Curragh Military Museum.

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