UN military adviser coming to RP for logistics course

The United Nations (UN)’s military adviser is due to arrive in the Philippines Wednesday night to address the ongoing UN Logistics Planners Course in Clark Field in Pampanga. A statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said UN military adviser Maj. Gen. Per Arne Five of Norway will represent UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon in the event. Five will represent the UN secretary general in the closing ceremonies for the ongoing UN course that started last June 18. He will also represent him at a courtesy call by the UN logistics course participants on President Arroyo in Malacañang on Friday. The DFA said Five will arrive from New York on Wednesday night and will address the closing ceremonies of the two-week UNLPC at the Holiday Inn Clark. He will join interior secretary Ronaldo Puno, who will be the guest of honor and speaker. Five is the third highest-ranking UN peacekeeping official and is next to the Secretary General and the Undersecretary General in peacekeeping matters. He oversees the military component of UN peacekeeping operations. He is the highest-ranking official of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to visit the Philippines. The DFA said the UNLPC, which is being pilot tested in the Philippines, aims to increase the capacity of UN member states to plan and manage the administrative and logistics aspects of their future involvement in UN peace operations. Course director Lt. Col. Rafael Barbieri said the UNLPC program covers the United Nations logistics procedures and the troop and police contributing countries' internal procedures. Participants include representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, El Salvador, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Representing the Philippines are officers from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of National Defense, the Department of the Interior and Local Governments, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. - GMANews.TV