The UN Integrated Approach concept has now become accepted as the guiding principle for future UN-led post-conflict complex peacebuilding
missions. It is important that all those who participate in some or other form in UN integrated missions, or those who work alongside such missions – whether as part of a wider country level peacebuilding system, as part of the humanitarian community, or as internal actors – develop a basic understanding of this concept as formulated for the UN system, as well as the wider country-level peacebuilding system of which they are part.
The UN’s Integrated Approach concept is increasingly being adopted by the AU and other regional organizations. However, there are important differences between the UN’s system-wide coherence approach to integration, and the multi-component or ‘joint’ integration approach followed by the AU and other regional organizations. It is important to take note of these differences, and to focus training packages accordingly.
Training is a critical tool for the dissemination of new policies, processes and tools, especially in highly diversified organizations or systems.
Training can thus be used as a tool to introduce the integrated approach concept to existing UN and AU missions, and those working alongside them, as well as to prepare those who will be deployed to such missions in future.
Specialized training is also needed to prepare those currently working in assessment, planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation. These are critical areas of interface across the many agencies engaged in the various peacebuilding dimensions (political, security, development and human rights). As such they represent the most important nodes that will need to be influenced, if mission coherence and system-wide coherence are to be improved.
