EUPOL COPPS concludes Palestinian police human rights training – European Commission press release/Non-UN document

JERICHO, July 14, 2011 — The Palestinian Civil Police (PCP) and EUPOL COPPS concluded today, 14 July, a six-day pilot Human Rights Training Program for 23 police officers, which was held in Jericho.

Throughout the program, a strong emphasis was placed on participatory and interactive training techniques with each afternoon session being devoted to exercises where the practical application of Human Rights provisions for operational police officers was underlined. These practical exercises were conducted in the new scenario-training houses at the Jericho Police Training Centre in order to test these houses as training facilities.

The trainees displayed great openness and frankness while discussing the various Human Rights themes covered by this programme. Although there can at times be some resistance to Human Rights principles at the beginning of such programs, the trainees were clearly showing more acceptance of Human Rights concepts as the days progressed. The trainees also said that they felt the Human Rights program was wholly comprehensive, covering all the main Human Rights priority topics of significance for the PCP.

Lt. Col. Abdul Hakim ABURRUB, Deputy Director of the PCP’s Training Department, attended the final day of the course along with EUPOL COPPS’ Deputy Head of Mission, Jesper FRIEDRICHSEN, handing out the graduation certificates.

ABURRUB addressed the trainees in a graduation ceremony highlighting that: “We pay special attention to this course because it enhances the experience of the police in the field”. He also added that: “I wish that all of you will implement what you have got from this course on the ground, which goes in line with the Palestinian law”.

This pilot training program was coordinated by EUPOL COPPS Human Rights expert, Diane HALLEY, and counted on the participation of all the members of the PCP human rights training working group, in addition to other local human rights experts who gave lectures on human rights values and procedures that need to be strictly followed in police work.

Alongside the PCP, various local Palestinian Human Rights organization representatives participated in the six-day program as trainers, belonging to the Independent Commission for Human Rights, the Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre for Support to Victims of Torture, the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the National Commission for the Disabled and Defence for Children International.

This Human Rights police training program focused on such priority Human Rights topics as the Torture/Ill-treatment prohibition, Gender/Domestic Violence, gender and Prisoner/Detainee Rights, among other themes. Participants pledged to implement what they have learnt in their day-to-day police work.