The Global Peace Operations Initiative: Background and Issues for Congress

The 111th Congress may consider extending the Global Peace Operations Initiative GPOI, the centerpiece of the Bush Administrations efforts to prepare foreign security forces to participate in international peacekeeping operations. Established in mid-2004, GPOI is a multilateral, five-year program with planned U.S. contributions of some 660 million from FY2005 through FY2009. GPOIs primary purpose is to train and equip 75,000 military troops, a majority of them African, for peacekeeping operations by 2010. GPOI also provides support for the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units CoESPU, an Italian training center for gendarme constabulary police forces in Vicenza, Italy. In addition, GPOI is promoting the development of an international transportation and logistics support system for peacekeepers, and is encouraging an information exchange to improve international coordination of peace operations training and exercises in Africa. In June 2004, G8 leaders pledged to support the goals of the initiative. GPOI incorporates previous capabilities-building programs for Africa. From FY1997 to FY2005, the United States spent just over 121 million on GPOIs predecessor program that was funded through the State Department Peacekeeping PKO account the Clinton Administrations African Crisis Response Initiative ACRI and its successor, the Bush Administrationss African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance ACOTA program. The term ACOTA is now used to refer to GPOIs training program in Africa. Some 16,000 troops from ten African nations were trained under the early ACRIACOTA programs. Some 33 million was provided from FY1998 to FY2005 to support classroom training of 31 foreign militaries through the Foreign Military Financing accounts Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities program EIPC.