UNODC supports capacity building of LE training institutions of the member-states via the Regional Working Group on Law Enforcement Training (RWGT) platform
On 26 October 2020, an online meeting of the Regional Working Group on law enforcement Training (RWGT) was conducted within the framework of the Sub-Programme 1 “Regional Law Enforcement Cooperation” of the UNODC Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring countries (Regional Programme).
The RWGT meeting brought together 25 senior officials of the law enforcement training institutions from Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The group was established in 2016 with an objective to promote regional cooperation in LE training and create a network within the region. The meetings are being held to identify needs of the institutions, support synchronization of the law enforcement training systems and programs, including standardization of training curricula and training courses in each member state of the Regional Programme.
During the opening speech Mr. Jeremy Milsom, Senior Programme Coordinator mentioned that “Many different structures and courses exist both within the countries and between the countries. Having a lot of variation in standards and methods can create challenges for operational collaboration at national, regional and global levels. The group was established to discuss these challenges, make recommendations, build strong governmental partnership at regional and global levels, and address the issues of sustainability of LE training. Setting and pursuing international standards is an important element of this work. In the COVID-19 crisis we need to ensure we have strong teleconferencing and online teaching methods”. He emphasized that “We as UNODC will continue prioritizing capacity building and support priorities set by member states”.
Participants from the member-states presented national standards, proposed options for international accreditation of law enforcement institutions, explored the possibility of developing and expanding associations with institutions of higher learning, discussed interactions and ways of cooperation to support comprehensive development of existing training systems, and informed on the technical needs of the institutions.
International experts from UNODC global programmes provided an overview of training courses at the regional level and shared best practices.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the group set recommendations on: further training plans with a focus on TOT; sharing good practices; exploration of standardization of curricula, and creating a database of training materials, among others.
UNODC thanks the Government of Finland and the European Union for financing and support in organizing the meeting.