On December 19th, 2024, the Education & Training team of the Egmont Institute innovated with the organization of the 1st reception to the attention of Alumni of the Belgian Generic Training (BGT), a program that equips experts for civilian CSDP missions.
Since its establishment in 2009, the BGT Alumni network has grown considerably, producing a network of highly competent professionals. Many of them are or have been deployed (sometimes even several times) while others are waiting for an opportunity for deployment.
Therefore, the main objectives of this gathering were to re-engage alumni with the Egmont Institute and its distinguished partners; to highlight the contributions of experts in CSDP missions; and finally, to discuss the evolving needs of these missions and explore possibilities of deployment.
Following introductory remarks from the Egmont Institute, the Director of the Directorate for Security Policy (M1) of the SPF Foreign Affairs provided the participants with information regarding expected future secondments (number, missions). The Director thanked the experts that are currently on mission as well as the Egmont Institute for the initiative which contributes to the good collaboration and a positive team spirit among partners and experts.
To highlight the significant impact of the course, a series of short videos of currently deployed experts having participated in the training was shown. Those testimonies essentially underlined how the BGT was an essential tool in understanding the recruitment and selection procedures; in building a network with the Belgian CSDP community; in better grasping the various challenges facing CSDP missions; and finally, it also enabled them to better understand how crisis management policies are being operationalized at the EU level.
Around 30 Alumni participated to the event along with many partners including representatives of the FPS Foreign Affairs, Belgian Federal Police, FPS Finance and FPS Interior.
