NORDEFCO United Nations Military Observer Course

Course periods
UNMOC I (FIN.1137.41) 26 April–14 May 2010
UNMOC II (FIN.1137.42) 9–27 August 2010
UNMOC III (FIN.1137.43) 25 October–12 November 2010

Please read the Pre Course Material. 

Purpose of the course
To prepare officers for service as MILITARY OBSERVERS in any UN mission and particularly for current UN operations.

Contents
- Organizations, past and present Peace Support
Operations (PSO).
- Observer and monitoring duties, emphasis on reporting
procedures.
- Political, social, religious and other factors prevailing in
the mission areas.
- Other abilities to enable the individual officer to carry
out the tasks that may be given to him / her immediately
following his / her arrival in the mission area.
- Climatic, topographical and environmental factors under
which service may have to be conducted.

Courses last three weeks and are run by Staff (Finland)
and Instructors (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden),
consisting of some 15 personnel altogether. During the first week students gain a basic knowledge of Peace Support Operations (PSO) and theoretic information on observer duties. In the second week they focus on performing as observers, learn how to use an interpreter, negotiate and mediate, and finally, in the third week their skills are tested in a field exercise. On weekends the students become familiarised with local culture on short trips in Finland.

A course has 50 seats, of which most are reserved for Nordic students and the rest for other students from all over the world. Since 1968, 4149 students from 68 countries have participated in UNMOC courses.

Student criteria
- Professionally trained with working experience of at least six years (Captain to Lieutenant Colonel).
- Ability to understand, speak and write in the English
language at level 2 according to STANAG 6001.
- A valid driver’s license.
- Physically fit.
- Basic knowledge of computers.
- The working language is English.

Please read the Pre Course Material. 

UNMOC leaflet