Police Reform

OSCE Office in Tajikistan delivers training courses for police public councils in Dushanbe

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan (30 June 2017) - The first in the series of training courses for Public Council members concluded on 30 June 2017 in Dushanbe. The course was jointly organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan and the international organization Saferworld.

Some 40 participants from the Republican and Dushanbe City Public Councils on police reform, the Interior Ministry’s Office of the National Co-ordinator, the Ministry of Internal Affair’s Department for the Protection of Public Order and inspectors from the Dushanbe Gender-Sensitive Police Units responsible for gender and domestic violence issues attended the course.

The participants shared their knowledge of and best practices in community policing and reviewed the main aspects of the police reform strategy/programme and the Provision on Public Councils, based on an order of the Minister of Internal Affairs and approved by the government on 10 June 2017. Effective approaches to improving police-community relations, preventing domestic violence and countering radicalization and extremism among youth were also discussed. Participants also enhanced their skills in drafting presentations and organizing productive meetings with local communities within the framework of Public Council activities.

Ambassador Tuula Yrjölä, Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan said: “One of the goals of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan is to support the development of a partnership between the police and society.” Major General Farhodbek Shodmonzoda, the National Co-ordinator for Police Reform, said: “With the support of the OSCE, the Ministry of Internal Affairs pays special attention to strengthening police interaction with local communities and will continue to establish city and district Public Councils from 2017 to 2020, as foreseen in the Provision.”

Similar training courses will be held in July and August 2017 for members of Public Councils operating in the cities of Kurgan-Tyube, Kulyab, Rasht, Khujand and Khorog.