OSCE Centre trains Turkmenistan officials in international humanitarian law in armed conflict

ASHGABAD, 16 August 2007 - Twenty Turkmenistan officers and officials took part in a training course on applying international humanitarian law in armed conflict and internal security operations which concluded in Ashgabad today.

The three-day event, organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabad and the Foreign Ministry, brought together representatives of the country's Armed Forces, State Border Service and the Ministries of the Interior, Justice and National Security.

The course was designed to help mid-career officers and officials further train their subordinates in observing and applying the rules of the law in armed conflict, and to integrate the principles into the training schedule of Turkmenistan's Armed Forces, paramilitary and security forces. Special emphasis was placed on case studies and exercises to consider the problems soldiers may face and to find appropriate solutions.

"All of the officials and service men and women contributed their own experiences and perspectives on the Law in Armed Conflict to the training course," said Ian McLeod, a former British Army Brigadier, who supervised the course. "I was highly impressed by the high level of interest of the participants and their involvement in the exercises."

The OSCE Centre plans to support more training courses on international humanitarian law in armed conflict, especially as it applies to the planning phase of military operations and exercises.