Expert Workshop on Good Practices in Human Rights-Based and Gender-Sensitive Research to build the Evidence-base for Effective Policing and Prosecution

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On 9-11 November 2022, UNODC, Regional Office for Central Asia organized an ‘Expert Workshop on Good Practices in Human Rights-Based and Gender-Sensitive Research to build the Evidence-base for Effective Policing and Prosecution’ at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan. 

This expert workshop was aimed at providing academics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, police inspectors, and prosecutors technical assistance and international expertise to strengthen the knowledge-base, and research and capacity-building skills on human rights and gender-sensitive approaches to policing and the administration of criminal justice, introducing effective legal approaches into law enforcement practice, protecting women from gender-based violence, ensuring gender equality in society, creating an atmosphere of dialogue on the best aspects of international experience.

Opening the workshop, Rustam Khatamov, Head of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan mentioned: “In fact, it should be recognized that the UNODC ROCA, jointly with the law-enforcement agencies of our country, has been implementing large-scale high-level scientific interventions in recent years. They are related to issues of ensuring public security, prevention of offences, anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism, combating the spread of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, various training courses on processing and analysis of information using special software and much more. The activities conducted are primarily aimed at assisting the agencies involved in developing and implementing new, socially oriented crime prevention strategies”.

Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative to Central Asia at her welcoming speech stated: “According to UNODC research, fewer than one in six police officers globally is a woman; this imbalance must be addressed to improve gender-sensitive law enforcement and criminal justice, and indeed, to improve the quality of justice for all citizens, women, and men. We need to understand and respect the contexts in which we work, while explaining and demonstrating the benefits of inclusion and gender equality. By tackling structural discrimination and strengthening trust between police and communities, societies can benefit from increased compliance with the rule of law and public confidence in the authorities, as well as lower crime rates.”

During the three-day seminar, they focused on exchange of Good Practices in Human Rights-Based and Gender-Sensitive Capacity Building and Research in Policing; Evidence-based and Human Rights-Based Approaches to Policing and Police Training; and Mentoring Sessions and Workshops on obtained skills on Human rights-based and gender sensitive capacity building and research, discussions on improving the model system created based on Uzbekistan's experience in this field.

Dr. Wendy O’Brien, Crime prevention and criminal justice officer, UNODC (Vienna) at her presentation “What does it mean to talk about evidence-based, human rights-based, and gender-sensitive policing?” highlighted: “There are guides that we are approaching to try understanding and find out how we can spread best practices of police work. These are normative and legal methods, evidence of effectiveness and voices of humanity. These three inputs need to be filtered through our understanding of what is going to work in Uzbekistan. And therefore, it is very important through asking the questions, undertaking this important evaluation work to identify what works, for whom and in what circumstances. Like this we can then really get to our goal.”   

International experts on community policing Dr. Melissa Jardine and Sergei Sidorov provided their trainings on capacity building and research in policing, gender-sensitive policing, etc.  

The workshop experts and participants exchanged their views on the following aspects: ensuring gender equality issues on the part of law enforcement agencies, creating equal social opportunities for men and women in all spheres of life based on the principle of gender equality, main directions for the protection of women's rights and interests, protection of human rights and interests in the process of vocational education, protection of human rights and freedoms in in the process of vocational education, protection of human rights and freedoms in the sphere and effective application of an approach to gender equality issues, bringing the activities of law enforcement agencies in line with generally accepted international standards.

At the end of the event practical recommendations serving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as introducing of the human rights & international policing standards into the educational processes of the Academy have been developed, the participants of the seminar were awarded certificates.  

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UNODC tools on policing and effective police responses to violence against women:

Handbook on Effective police responses to violence against women;

Training curriculum on effective police responses to violence against women;

Introductory Handbook on Policing Urban Space;

Training Manual on Policing Urban Space;

Handbook on police accountability, oversight and integrity;

Resource book on the use of force and firearms in law enforcement.

 

For further information please contact:   

Arifa Fatikhova  

Communications and External Relations Officer

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 

Regional Office for Central Asia

Mobile: (+998 93) 505-05-58 | Email: arifa.fatikhova[at]un.org