The partnership among the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the African Union (AU) has advanced their shared commitment to sustainable, data-driven and technology-enabled training for peacekeepers. In 2025, this collaboration moved from coordination to tangible delivery, signaling a maturing triangular partnership focused on operational impact.
Central to these developments is the second UN-NATO Defence Capacity Building (DCB) package, a comprehensive framework designed to respond to the evolving realities of contemporary peace operations. The package includes four themes reflecting priorities in peace operations:
- Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED),
- Adaptation to Extreme Operational Environments,
- Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), Modernization Innovation, and
- Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS), safety and security of peacekeepers.
In April, May and June, a NATO HQ delegation visited Entebbe to review technical cooperation in ICT and C4ISR training, refine strategic objectives, and plan joint training initiatives.
Discussions also addressed the integration of climate change considerations and avenues for increased political collaboration were also discussed, notably through a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) programme. The meetings culminated in revised work programmes, strategic concept papers and collaboration frameworks, reinforcing defense and security partnerships in the region.
Moving forward, the NATO and the UN are preparing deliverables and implementation plans for a new Defense Capacity Building package (2026–2028), promoting peer-to-peer cooperation and institutionalizing the AU-UN-NATO triangular partnership in AI-enabled threat mitigation, C4ISR training, climate resilience, and peacekeeper safety.
Delegates explored adapting NATO best practices to AU training modules, as well as scenario-based exercises and joint technical planning. The outcomes of the C4ISR Training Needs Assessment were debated to harmonize local realities with international standards, setting the foundation for collaborative initiatives in technology and security.
The successive Staff Talks in Brussels, Entebbe and Addis underscored 2025 as a decisive year in multilateral cooperation, interoperability, and shared governance, marking a significant step in redefining future peace operations.
