Organizing and Training Peacekeeping Forces: The Canadian View

Abstract

Although the Canadian Armed Forces had been involved in peace-keeping operations as early as 1949, it was not until 1964 that our military experts were afforded officially an opportunity of discussing the technical aspects of such operations with their opposite numbers from other U.N. Member States. The Scandinavians, with their tradition for championing peace, convened the first peace-keeping conference providing such an opportunity at Oslo in February 1964. Canada followed suit and held a conference in Ottawa in November 1964. A second Oslo Conference took place in November 1965. These Conferences were agreed that everything possible must be done to facilitate the exchange of information on peace-keeping among the countries that had confirmed with the Secretary-General their willingness to participate in U.N. military operations. The experience of the Canadian Armed Forces in the organization and training of regular forces for participation in peace-keeping may be of particular interest to these countries.