Canada launched the Vancouver Principles (VP) on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers on 15 November 2017 at the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial in Vancouver, British Columbia. The purpose of the VPs is to prioritize and further operationalize child protection within UN peacekeeping with a focus on preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers. Subsequently, in July 2019 Canada launched the Implementation Guidance for the Vancouver Principles (IGVPs) which articulates the importance of each Principle and presents practical suggestions for how they can be implemented. The resources provided here are offered by the Dallaire Centre of Excellence for Peace and Security in support of Principles 16 (Best Practices) and 17 (Further Guidance).
In support of these Calls to Action, the Gender Advisor and Gender Focal Point Network of the Canadian Defence Academy has worked in collaboration with the CFC Information Resource Centre and Indigenous Advisor and the Indigenous Technical Network of the Canadian Defence Academy to compile this Learning Resource Guide that offers publications and tools accessible through the Canadian Armed Forces Virtual Library. The Guide was developed to help center and support Indigenous learning and reconciliation within the context of professional military education. It is intended to be a co-constructed reference point of available resources and is intended to be evergreen.
The Canadian Defence Academy’s Dallaire Centre of Excellence for Peace and Security is pleased to share the “Mainstreaming Gender Perspectives in Operations” curriculum framework. The curriculum framework was developed in support of the (former) Chief of the Defence Staff's desire to deliver a series of pragmatic initiatives during his tenure as Chair of the Women, Peace and Security Chiefs of Defence Staff Network. The nine-part modularized framework was designed to close a gap in Women, Peace and Security and gender perspectives education opportunities for non-commissioned members and junior officers. The curriculum framework includes a repertoire of hands-on activities, exercises, and scenarios that can be tailored to the operating contexts and cultures of international military members across all levels and ranks, as demonstrated during a ‘Train the Trainer’ session delivered to educators from within the Iraqi Defence University for Higher Military Studies and Ministerial Training and Development Centre in support of NATO Mission Iraq. It can be delivered in whole or in part, based on the needs of the learning audience and includes a Trainer’s Guide with suggested speaking notes and recommendations for facilitators. A special thank you to those who contributed to this important educational product, particularly members of the Directorate of Gender Equality and Intersectional Analysis and members of the Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security team.
