The United Nations Police Division, in partnership with the DPET/Integrated Training Service and in close cooperation with the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), organized United Nations Police Day, a 24-hour marathon focused on police training from 16-17 June. A total of 267 participants from 54 Member States, UN entities and international organizations attended the event held under the auspices of the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centres (IAPTC).
Nine workshops throughout the day introduced the United Nations Police (UNPOL) Training Architecture Programme to the global police training community, showcased UN Specialized Training Materials for Police, UNPOL job-specific training courses, and a recently completed introductory online course on the Strategic Guidance Framework for International Policing (SGF) developed by UNPOL with Member States. The workshops were accessible in all six official languages, and the sessions were timed to ensure that all Member States could easily access them during their working hours.
Opening the event, the UN Police Adviser, Commissioner Luís Carrilho, stressed that while the strength of the UN Police, who come from more than 90 countries, is the wealth of knowledge and experience that they bring from around the globe, their diversity necessitated a coherent approach to training and how UNPOL officers undertake their tasks.
“UN Police officers must be not only operationally competent but also well-versed in UN policing practices to deliver based on the four pillars of the SGF: international norms and standards, human rights-compliant, gender-responsive and evidence-based”, he said.
Police trainers and thematic subject matter experts from both current and potential police contributing countries enriched the workshops and helped strengthen collective efforts to benefit all future UN police officers while promoting the UNPOL Training Architecture Programme.
Today, with more than 12,500 women and men authorized to serve on the frontlines in 16 peace operations, UNPOL continues to meet contemporary demands and challenges for a safer and more secure world.