Police Reform

Meeting with representatives of Civil Society in Khujand

The National Police Reform Team met with civil society representatives on 1 November 2012 in Khujand. The purpose of the meeting was to establish a group from active members of civil society and local communities in order to involve them into the police reform process. The representatives from NGO “Chashmai Hayot,” “Nuri Islom” mosque, NGO “Youth and Society,” the Human Rights Center, the Bar Association, NGO “Sarchashma” and Public Organization “Youth Group on Protection of Environment” took part in this meeting. 

The OSCE OiT team was headed by Mr. Ulf Billving, Counter Terrorism and Police Advisor. 

The participants of the meeting were familiarized with the Provision of the Sub-Working Group (SWG) “Civil Society Assistance to Police Reform,” as well as with the Draft Police Reform Strategy for the period till 2020. 

The purpose of the SWG creation in conformance to its Provision is: 

- civil society assistance to police reform and development through drafting the basic regulatory acts by its activists; 

- development of socio-administrative partnership between civil society and police; 

- implementation of publicity, openness and transparency principles within Internal Affairs agencies in protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms of person and citizen of Tajikistan; 

The SWG members will provide assistance in improving the performance of education and training of police staff, including participation of NGOs, in development of curriculums, review of teaching aids and other materials, in training for the specialists from the MIA educational system and in teaching of certain courses. They will also participate in elaborating and reviewing of the drafts of the Police Reform Strategy and the Police Reform Program, other concepts, programs, as well as the initiatives of the public associations and citizens on the most actual issues of police activities. 

The Civil Society SWG will conduct an independent monitoring over police activities in the field in order to identify and prevent offences committed by the police staff, as well as participate in the development of civil control system over police activities. 

The NGO representatives were enthusiastic about the creation of such a sub-group on a regional level and proposed to provide the contact details of the Coordination Council in Khujand. The OSCE OiT will send it a request to assist in involvement of more members into the SWG, to conduct a presentation about Police Reform in Tajikistan and to facilitate the civil society assistance into the process. 

During the duty trip to Soghd region, the National Police Reform Team members have also met with the management of the Directorate of Internal Affairs (DIA) in Soghd region, which was familiarized with the documents of the Police Reform Steering Group and with the tasks of new SWG. 

The DIA Deputy Head Mr. Pirumshoev welcomed the idea of establishing the SWG from active civil society members of the region, noting that “acting apart from citizens, police is not able to fully address all challenges related to security of citizens.” He briefed about various forms of cooperation with public associations within the region, such as voluntary squads, Neighborhood Watch, junior traffic inspectors, etc. In general, the DIA management expressed a significant interest to the interaction with civil society and expressed its willingness in further collaboration and full support of their initiatives. 

The National Police Reform Team plans to arrange such meetings and establish similar groups in Rasht, Kurgan-Tyube and Kulyab in order to engage more civil society representatives and to assure their participation in this important process.

Community Policing Program

Community Policing is both a philosophy and an organizational strategy that allows the police and community to work together to solve problems of crime, social disorder, safety, security, and quality of life.  As the foundation of the Government of Tajikistan’s police reform, INL/TEG’s Community Policing Program aims to improve the MVD’s capacity to serve Tajik citizens in a human rights-compliant manner that upholds the rule of law and toenhance citizens’ trust in the police.Our program has two complementary components:  (1) top-down, working to institutionalize community policing in the MVD through strategic, operational, and tactical planning advice and assistance, and professionalizing the police through development and delivery of community policing training for officers of all ranks; and (2) bottom-up, establishing sustainable, collaborative problem-solving partnerships—composed of police officers, local government representatives, religious and civil society leaders, and community members, including women and youth—for identifying and addressing local community concerns.  Through community policing, the police and the people jointly use tools and processes to manage, resolve, and prevent destabilizing crime and conflict, locally, regionally, and nationally.

Program achievements (2010-2012):

• Community Policing Partnership Teams (CPPTs) have been established and are fully functioning in six (6) districts with approximately 200 police, government, and community representatives participating:   Rasht and Jirgatol (Rasht Valley); Farkhor andKumsangir (Khatlon Region); and BobojonGhafurov and Qairoqqum (Sughd Region).
• Through self-initiative and a multiplier effect, secondary CPPTs have been established and community policing training delivered in villages and among youth. 
• Eleven (11) Community Policing Centers (CPCs) have been established in four districts(Rasht (3), Jirgatol (2),Kumsangir (3), and Qairoqqum (3) via CPPT-MVD Community Policing Implementation Plans, to sustain district-wide community policing initiatives and support local partnerships and problem-solving processes.  They are co-located within central police stations, territorial inspectors’ offices (sub-stations), or local government buildings.  Three additional CPCs will be established in Farkhor (2) and BobojonGhafurov (2).
• Two community policing youth camps (“Youth for Safer Communities”) have been hosted to strengthen partnerships between youth and police.  Approximately 100 CPPT youth members and 20 juvenile police officers have participated
• A central-level Community Policing Working Group (CPWG), composed of police, government, and civil society leaders, meets monthly to provide oversight, coordination, and support  of Tajikistan-wide community policing initiatives. 
• MVD has committedto expanding community policing throughout Tajikistan as part of the police reform process.

Planned activities (2012-2013):

• Strengthen existing CPPTs through mentoring, monitoring, and training of trainers, and monitor and support existing CPCs.
• Establish six new CPPTs in Panjakent and Aini (Sughd Region); Panj (Khatlon Region); Khorugh (GBAO); and Vahdat and Tursunzoda (Region of Republican Subordination).
• Establish at least one CPC in each new district in cooperation with the MVD and CPPTs.
• Empower youth through community policing training and camps.
• Raise public awareness about community policing through information campaigns and targeted workshops.
• Work closely with the MVD, OSCE, and other national and international partners to further institutionalize community policing in the police reform, including the proposed Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG).

The Community Policing Program is included in the letter of agreement between the Government of the United States and the Republic of Tajikistan, signed on May 5, 2009.

Funded by: Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Affairs, U.S. Embassy, Dushanbe

Implementer:   The Emergence Group (TEG)

Implementing partners: Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), local government, communities

Timeframe:  May 2010- March 2013 

Contacts:

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Special Police Units are engaged in Domestic Violence prevention issues

The OSCE Office in Tajikistan is working with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) ofTajikistanon the overall process of Police Reform. At the same time, the Office is focusing on key issues in day-to-day policing, such as strengthening police officers' investigative techniques in combating trafficking in human beings and in promoting greater awareness of the international human rights standards that cover every stage of the criminal justice process. 

In August 2010, the Minister of Internal Affairs inaugurated the first two police units of the MIA especially equipped to work with cases of domestic violence. Those two police units are based in Dushanbe, and since then, three more  additional such special units have been established, all through support from the OSCE Office in Tajikistan and in close cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The special units are now functioning in Kulyab (southeast), Kurgan-Tube (south), Khujand (north) and in two districts of Dushanbecity. Each special unit has a female police inspector, specially trained to handle properly cases of domestic violence.

The establishment of special units demonstrates the Ministry of Internal Affairs´ commitment to treating domestic violence as a crime. These special units are closely working with community organizations to support victims of domestic violence, particularly since family violence itself is not classified as a separate criminal offence.

In September 2011 the Ministry of Internal Affairs went further in this direction by establishing a new, Ministry-wide separate incident reporting category on family violence, which has had a landmark effect of raising law enforcement officers' awareness on this endemic problem.

The Ministry has been able, for the first time, to collect data on cases of domestic violence through a new classification system. The data was most recently used in the reports by the Government of Tajikistan in the UN Universal Periodic Review in Geneva. According to this data, approximately 800 cases were registered under the category of family violence in 2011. Of these 800, approximately 250 cases were reported by five special units. It is encouraging that currently the MIA subdivisions all over the country are all reporting on family violence under the special category, and that reports on family violence are not only received by the special units. Further, the Area Police Inspectors together with five special units also identify families at domestic violence risk, which they support through regular monitoring procedures and physical visits, which has contributed to reduce, or eliminate, violence in those families. The special units are unique in Tajikistan, and were also the first of its kind in Central Asia when they were established.  

The Office continues to support capacity building initiatives of police officers, and the whole staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through annual training sessions on gender and policing, including response by law-enforcement to domestic violence cases. The Office also continues to support the process in which a law on domestic violence has been drafted throughout 2011-2012, in partnership with the Swiss Cooperation Office, UN Women program inTajikistanand many civil society organizations. This Law was approved by Majlisi Namoyandagon (Lower Chamber/Lower House of the Parliament) on 19 December 2012, but officially did not enter into force. 

Together with the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Police Academy), the Office has assisted in the introduction of a training course on investigation processes of human trafficking cases. This course runs as a part of the Police Academy curricula for fourth year students, and is 20 hours long. The students of the Police Academy also attend voluntarily the courses on domestic violence prevention.

The National Central Bureau of INTERPOL in Tajikistan

Interpol is the world’s largest international police organization with 190 member countries. It facilitates international police cooperation, provides support and assistance to all organizations, authorities and services, the objective of which is to combat crime.

History of INTERPOL

The idea of establishing an International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO-Interpol) was rooted in the beginning of the last century. The First International Criminal Police Congress was held in Monaco in 1914. Lawyers and police officers from 14 countries have considered the issue on the possibility to create a unit for accounting of international criminal information and unification of criminals’ extradition proceedings.

The World War I has interrupted the started process of international consolidation of police forces. In 1923, the Second International Criminal Police Congress was held in Vienna, Austria, where the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC) was founded. It has functioned until the beginning of the World War II. Hence, 1923 is considered to be a year of the ICPO-Interpol establishment, although before 1956 it was officially called as the International Criminal Police Commission.

In 1956, the Interpol has received its current name and existing Charter. In 1989, the Interpol headquarters (General Secretariat) has moved from Paris suburbs to Lyon, where it is still located.

In 1996, the UN General Assembly had approved the Interpol intergovernmental status as an observer at the General Assembly. In 1997, Interpol and the UN signed a Cooperation Agreement, which proves the high authority of Interpol.

Since 2000, the Secretary General of the Interpol is Ronald K. Noble, professor of law of the New York University.

Currently, the Interpol is a large international organization, the second after the UN on the size of staff and the largest organization of law enforcement agencies, which has 190 member countries. Each country determines an agency, which will be acting as a National Central Bureau (NCB) to ensure the collaboration with different organizations of the country, NCB member countries and with the General Secretariat of the Organization in the area of combating international crime.

The Soviet Union has become a member of the Interpol in 1990.

On 7 April 1990, the Council of the USSR Ministers had adopted a Resolution №338 “On joining the USSR the International Criminal Police Organization – Interpol.” On 27 September 1990, at the 59th session of the Interpol General Assembly (in Ottawa, Canada), the USSR was accepted as a member of the Interpol. The National Central Bureau of Interpol (NCB Interpol) has started its activity within the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the USSR starting from 1 January 1991.

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