Partnership between UNODC and IDB

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) formalised agreements for the development of two programmes:  Opportunities and Rights Programme (POD), agreement signed in October 2015, end date in September 2019, and Parana Seguro Programme, signed in September 2017, end date January 2022. In addition, UNODC is negotiating a new agreement with the State of Espirito Santo for the implementation of the Citizen Security Programme.

The Opportunities and Rights Programme (POD) is a partnership between the IDB, the state of Rio Grande do Sul and UNODC. In the agreement, the state of Rio Grande do Sul is committed to implementing policies aimed at reducing violent crime rates among young people aged 15-24 in the cities of Alvorada, Porto Alegre and Viamão, through an integrated approach between risk factors and focuses of geographic and population interventions.

In POD, UNODC is committed to verifying, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the proper functioning of internal and social controls of police forces.

By investing in education, sports, culture, entrepreneurship, public security and socio-educational care, POD acts as a pioneering and complete public policy to create opportunities for young people and improve the quality of life of communities. In the six Youth Centres, the goal is to serve 3,600 young people aged 15-24 annually, offering professional qualification and leisure activities. In the communities served, the implementation of community policing promotes the approximation of police officers with residents, giving more security to the living spaces. For young people who comply with socio-educational measures and their families, in addition to ensuring a modern and qualified service, the Programme promotes social reintegration and a future with more opportunities.

Parana Seguro Programme is based on an understanding between the IDB, the government of the state of Paraná and UNODC. In the agreement, UNODC undertakes to provide technical support for the implementation of the programme, which is a partnership between the IDB and the government of the State of Paraná.

UNODC will verify the applicability of the mechanisms already in place for internal and social control of community police activities in the target territories of the programme.

The work with the community police has started in the second year of the project, after the diagnosis been made, leading then to the first training of the corresponding community police. The work of the first year, however, consisted of structuring these actions together with the government of Paraná and the state Secretariat of Public Security and Penitentiary Administration (SESP, by its acronym in Portuguese).

The general objective of the agreement with the state of Espirito Santo for the implementation of the Citizen Security Programme, which is currently under negotiation, is to contribute to the reduction of the high rates of violent crimes (homicides and robberies) in 10 (ten) municipalities of the state of Espirito Santo, according to the new territorial configuration defined by the government, such as: Cariacica, Serra, Vila Velha, Vitória, Linhares, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Colatina, São Mateus, Aracruz and Guarapari, with the specific objectives of the programme: (i) increase the effectiveness of the Civil and Military Police in the control and investigation of violent crimes; (ii) increase opportunities for social inclusion with a focus on young people aged 15-24  in conditions of risk of violence; and (iii) reduce the recidivism of the young population in conflict with the law.

It is worth mentioning that the Citizen Security Programme in Espirito Santo is currently carried out by the government of the State of Espirito Santo, through the Secretary of State for Human Rights.

The partnership with UNODC foresees the strengthening of the internal and external police control mechanisms. UNODC will monitor the application of the police oversight mechanisms in the territories of the programme and will certify twice a year the conformity of the police performance in the project activities with the principles established by law, to be financed by loan 3279/OC-BR of the IDB. In addition, UNODC and the state of Espirito Santo undertake to cooperate, within the framework of IDB financing, in monitoring the application of police oversight mechanisms in the project territories.