... as They Return From Sweden
Eleven County Superintendents with thirteen County Security Council Program Officers have returned to Liberia from the Northern European Nation of the Kingdom of Sweden after they participated in the oversea phase of a training exercise under the auspices of the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA).
Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) is the Swedish Government Agency for peace, security, and development.
The County Superintendents, along with thirteen (13) County Security Council Program Officers the final phase of the Security Sector Leadership Seminar series.
Superintendents who attended the foreign training were drawn from Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Sinoe, Grand Kru, Gbarpolu, Margibi, River Gee, Nimba, Lofa, Bong, and Grand Gedeh Counties.
The training which started on Monday, November 7 was attended by Internal Affairs Minister, Varney A. Sirleaf and National Security Advisor to President, Jefferson S. Kanmoh.
The training was developed by the National Security Council Secretariat and the Folke Bernadotte Academy in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs has over the years been providing County Security Council leadership training for 15 County Superintendents and 15 County Security Council Program Officers in an effort to enhance the capacity of the membership of the County Security Councils of Liberia as defined by the National Security Reform and Intelligence Act.
According to a dispatch, the training in Sweden was the fifth and final phase of the County Security Council Leadership Seminar sponsored by the Folke Bernadotte Academy and was in addition to the previous four phases which took place in Liberia over the years.
Speaking during the seminar held in the Stockholm Peninsula of Sando, Minister Sirleaf said the training exercise has been addressing County Security Councils' Leadership capacity gaps in the areas of elections-related violence and conflict management, early warning and conflict sensitivity, conflict resolution, understanding community policing concept, environmental and health hygiene, time management, effective communication among others.
Minister Sirleaf: "Commended the Swedish Government for the continuous bilateral cooperation subsisting between it and Liberia, describing Sweden as a true partner who has always stood by Liberia".
He, however, expressed President George Weah's commitment to ensuring the sustainability of the County Superintendent County Council framework.
He also praised the Swedish Embassy in Liberia for facilitating the travel of his delegation in a timely manner, while describing Ambassador Urban Sjostrom as his good friend.
The Internal Affairs Ministry Boss further recounted the invaluable contribution made by the County Security County Training for the Counties and the Government as a whole.
He said, with the capacity building carried out by the FBA, the County Security Council structure which is in the framework of the Decentralization and Peacebuilding programs of Liberia has improved greatly through the sharing of relevant information and prompt responses in most cases.
Minister Sirleaf emphasized that with the pending 2023 Legislative and Presidential Elections, the County Security County Council, made up of key actors at the local level will play a significant role.
About Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA)
The Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) (Swedish: Folke Bernadotteakademin) is the Swedish government agency for peace, security, and development. FBA conducts training, research, and method development in order to strengthen peacebuilding and state-building in conflict and post-conflict countries.
The agency also recruits civilian personnel and expertise for peace operations and election observation missions led by the EU, UN, and OSCE. The agency is named after Count Folke Bernadotte, the first UN mediator.
FBA is under the authority of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The agency was established in 2002 and has two offices; in Stockholm and at Sandö in Sweden. Apart from the somewhat 100 employees at the two offices, FBA has about 80 deployed employees around the world. The General-Director of FBA since 2012 is Sven-Eric Söder.
FBA works with various parts of the peace process including disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants, conflict prevention, and conflict resolution, women, peace and security, leadership and political affairs, rule of law, human rights and election support as well as security sector reform, cooperation in peace operations and security in the field.
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FBA is part of Sweden's development aid within the field of peace and security. The agency is commissioned by the Swedish government to work with the Swedish development cooperation strategies with a number of conflict-affected countries and regions.
Moreover, FBA administers two Swedish government grants. The Peace Million finances projects that focus on peace and security, and the so-called 1325 Grants for organizations working with issues concerning women, peace, and security. FBA also manages the Peace Archive, a digital archive with documentation of Sweden's contribution to international peace operations. In addition, the international secretariat of the Challenges Forum is hosted by the FBA. Challenges Forum is a worldwide network of organizations dedicated to strengthening UN Peace Operations.
