First Mechanism Refresher Seminar welcomes participants in Portugal
The first Mechanism Refresher Seminar in a new-look took place on 6-8 November 2023 in Cascais, Portugal.
By Knowledge Network – Staff member
The fishing village of Cascais gave a heart-warming welcome to the Mechanism Refresher Seminar (MRS) from 6 to 8 November 2023, in its first edition under the new UCPM Training Programme.
Twenty-nine participants from fifteen different countries refreshed their knowledge of the UCPM and connected with other civil protection and disaster management professionals.
The MRS is a seminar for trained and experienced experts and key modules management personnel that are part of the UCPM deployable training pathway. It is designed to offer space for dialogue and reflection, with a purpose to allow participants to deepen their knowledge and expand skills on a topic related to the UCPM.
During this first MRS held in Cascais, participants had the chance to discuss topics in relation to the ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine and the UCPM’s involvement at operational, tactical and strategic levels.
The three workshops that were part of the seminar programme were led by representatives from the academic, operational and field-level:
- Situational awareness in a EUCPT – Mission to Poland (“operational” level)
- The Transit Nation – Logistics hubs in Poland (“tactical” level)
- UCPM involvement in complex emergencies / crises – International Humanitarian Law and beyond (“strategic” level)
“The setting up of a logistics hub in Poland by the UCPM in the context of the war in Ukraine was a major operation for the Mechanism, offering many ways for reflection, from the operational implementation itself, to the very relevance of such an intervention. Our participants really got to the heart of the matter, thanks to interactions with their high-level workshop leaders and the sharing of their own experience.”
Each MRS covers a different lead topic with few lessons, significant discussion time including participants’ presentations of workshop results, panel discussions and many networking opportunities.
The MRS also supports participants to reinforce the skills required for a successful UCPM mission and it can also help them to identify any specific gaps in their mission-related competences that experts need to learn and develop.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the Mechanism Refresher Seminar, which was held in the stunning location of Cascais, and hosted by the Portuguese National Authority for Civil Protection. The seminar was very well organised and structured: the programme was comprehensive, but there was also ample time for much-appreciated networking.
For many, including myself, this was the first in-person UCPM seminar of the new training programme and for some also the first in-person UCPM seminar / training since Covid-19 pandemic. The best part of the seminar was to get a chance to exchange ideas and have discussions on a variety of topics with colleagues I haven’t seen in a long time.
I'd highly recommend this seminar for anyone looking for an update on new developments on the UCPM and the new training programme!”
Maria Katajisto, the Finnish national expert who attended the seminar.
The Directorate-General for Civil Protection Belgium with eight partners developed and will deliver the MRS in 2023-2025. The partners are the Directorate for Civil Protection Norway, the Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Crises Management France, the Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Emergencies Spain, the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Slovenia, Ministry of the Interior – the Sector for Emergency Management Serbia, Ministry of Interior, the French National Fire Officers Academy and the Directorate-general for Civil Protection Algeria. The host of the first MRS was the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection Portugal.
Photo: EU
To find out how you can join next MRS, have a look at the brand new UCPM Training Catalogue. On the training page, you can consult the calendar with dates and location of all MRS in 2024 and 2025.
Other training opportunities for civil protection and disaster management professional to refresh their knowledge and update skills include online modules on EU Academy, such as the pre-deployment Refresher course for Team and Deputy Team Leaders or the pre-deployment Refresher course for Experts, the UCPM exercises and the Exchange of Experts Programme. Consult the Catalogue or visit the UCPKN pages to find out more!
Photo: Training Consortium
About the author
The Knowledge Network – Staff member
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