The  GCSP offers via the Annual Senior Officers Seminar (ASOS) a unique professional development and networking opportunity for Flag Officers and high-level experts on contemporary politico-military developments and current and future trends in multinational approaches to security challenges.

In light of the Swiss service on the United Nations Security Council 2023-2024, the ASOS 2024 will be dedicated to enhancing the understanding of the changing nature and direction of peace operations.

In a rapidly changing geopolitical context, what are the trends and developments? What options are there for future missions and operations - by United Nations, regional organizations, and private actors?  What are the peace operations challenges, dilemmas, possibilities, and solutions that requires consideration by States and Senior Officers as the international community seek to navigate and chart a way forward in an increasingly complex and contested world? What policies, principles, doctrines, operations and capacity building are needed to support future impactful peace missions and operations?

The ASOS 2024 forms part of a series of Leadership for Peace Operations courses organized by the GCSP during 2022-2024. Other courses include the UN Mission Advanced Staff Training, UN Police Commanders Course, UN Senior Mission Leadership Course, and UN Standing Police Capacity Results Based Management Course. As a work stream, the complementary leadership for peace operations courses creates a particularly focused and forward leaning learning environment.

Learning objectives

The overall objectives of the seminar are to:

• broaden the perspectives of participants about emerging peace and security challenges in general and the trends, developments, role and relevance of future peace operations in particular.
• establish a network between participants the development of channels of communication to foster common ground.

The course is open to Senior officers, high-level civil servants from security related ministries, and high-level representatives from (human) security related International Organisations, Intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations with a working relationship with UN Peace Operations and Peacebuilding.

This seminar is offered free of tuition charge. All other expenses, including accommodation and travel, are the responsibility of the participant. In a limited number of cases, scholarships may be available. GCSP reserves the right to modify the programme dates or location.