EUPOL - Serving Afghanistan

Transcription

1 EUPOL - Serving Afghanistan Newsletter of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan 28 th April Senior Afghan officials participated at the EUPOL Medal Parade on 17 April 2011 in Kabul. Left to right: Senior Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hedayat Amin Arsala, EUPOL Head of Mission Brigadier General Jukka Savolainen, Afghan Minister of Interior General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi and Senior Advisor to the EUPOL Head of Mission Lieutenant General Siddique Noor standing for the Afghan National Anthem. CONTENTS Page IN FOCUS: Medal Parade in Kabul 3 IN BRIEF: EUPOL and Victim Support Finland Help Afghan Female Police Officers 4 Developing the Police Staff College Organisational Structure 4 ETCDD in Bamyan 4 Third District Commanders Course 5 And more... 5 PEOPLE: The Portrait: Loverne Amanda Scott-Heron, Denmark 6 Annual Charity Walk-Run 6 EUPOL-Serving Afghanistan online: 1

2 EDITORIAL EUPOL Working Closely with Afghan Authorities Last week, April 17, we held our medal parade at EUPOL Headquarters. I was pleased by the fact that not only the international community was largely represented at our event but that also many Afghan guests attended. I in particular welcomed the Senior Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mr Amin Arsala and the Minister of Interior General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi. The large presence once again demonstrates the extent of the Afghan and international community s commitment to Afghanistan and its resolve to support the Afghan people as they rebuild their country. Moreover the attendance of many Afghan government representatives underlines how strong our ties, in particular with the Ministry of Interior have grown over the past year. The importance of working jointly with Afghan authorities is reflected in the fact that I awarded two very special EUPOL Golden medals, one to the Minister of Interior General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi and one to my Chief Advisor General Siddique Noor. I commended the Minister not only for his strategic EUPOL Head of Mission Jukka Savolainen leadership in enforcing the Afghan national Police and strong stewardship in reforming the MoI but also for our strong cooperation on issues like anti-corruption, training, rule of law. I was pleased to honor Siddique Noor for connecting EUPOL to key stakeholders in town. And through his knowledge of Afghanistan and his fine nose for political complexities Siddique has provided guidance in the strategic political context within which EUPOL needs to operate. Providing the Afghan context and strengthening our ties with the Afghan authorities is extremely important since we can only make progress if we work jointly. For example last week I had the honor of hosting a dinner for General Patang who is responsible for the training development in the Ministry of Interior. I was in particular energized by General Patang s desire to work closely with EUPOL in devising a long term training strategy for the Ministry of Interior which would contain elements like long term training programs; crime investigation curricula, high level Train the Trainer programmes. And in recent International Police Coordination Board meetings we have discussed among the international community and representatives of the Ministry of Interior how to improve coordination of the international advisors; the role of the Ministry of Interior in the transition process. Next week we will discuss a proposal to review all laws pertaining to the Ministry of Interior which aims to provide a more solid legal framework for the Ministry. EUPOL will continue to find common ground with the Ministry of Interior, other relevant Afghan authorities and our international partners to advance the further development of a civilian Afghan National Police service. Jukka Savolainen Annual National Conference for the Military (Police) Judiciary The Annual National Conference for the Military (Police) Judiciary took place from 17 to 19 April 2011 in Kabul. EUPOL s ongoing support for the Military (Police) Justice Sector was very much appreciated by high-ranking Afghan legal officials at the conference. EUPOL Head of Mission, Brigadier General Jukka Savolainen, addressed the audience with a speech on the subject of the adjudication of corruption crimes committed by the Afghan National Police officers. EUPOL s Senior National Legal Officer, Rohullah Esmati, also spoke on the topic of adjudication of corruption crimes committed by ANP. This topic was discussed to a great extent on the second day of the conference with representatives of the Supreme Court of Afghanistan. As a result of the request of the conference organisers, EUPOL provided each participant with a set of legal texts on the respective criminal laws. In the provinces, access to law books is particularly important. Dr. Gregor Kemper from EUPOL s Rule of Law Department stated EUPOL was prepared to offer far more assistance than actually needed. It is good to see that these events meanwhile can be organised by our Afghan counterparts in a self-sufficient and increasingly sustainable way. The conference was attended by about 100 judges from the capital and the provinces. EUPOL-Serving Afghanistan online: 2

3 IN FOCUS Medal Parade in Kabul Medal Parade in EUPOL The EUPOL Medal Parade took place on 17 April 2010 in Kabul. Attending the parade was the Guest of Honour - Senior Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan H.E Hedayat Amin Arsala, the Afghan Minister of Interior General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, Afghan senior officers and other senior members of the diplomatic corps from the European Embassies in Kabul. EUPOL Head of Mission, Brigadier General Jukka Savolainen started the parade with his opening speech. H.E Hedayat Amin Arsala and General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi gave speeches as well, and congratulated the EUPOL officers for their achievements. The European Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) service medals were awarded to 65 EUPOL Officers and civilian experts for their support and contribution to the Afghan National Police through the EUPOL Mission. The medals were handed over by the EUPOL Head of Mission and the Senior Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, H.E. Hedayat Amin Arsala. One CSDP Gold Service Medal was awarded to the Afghan Minister of Interior, General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi. The EUPOL Head of Mission spoke about the great efforts the A f g h a n Handover of the Gold Medal to Gen. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi Minister of Interior did in terms of reforming the Afghan National Police. Another CSDP Gold Service Medal was awarded to the EUPOL Senior Advisor to the Head of Mission, General Siddique Noor. The EUPOL Head of Handover of the Gold Medal to Gen. Siddique Noor M i s s i o n t h a n k e d General Siddique Noor for his contribution to the mission and to the Afghan National Police and wished him all the best. One CSDP Silver Service Medal was awarded to Colonel Uwe Mainz, the EUPOL Head of Police Component, for his extraordinary support to the Police Component of the EUPOL Mission and the Afghan National Police. At the end of the parade, the EUPOL Head of Mission congratulated EUPOL officers for supporting the Afghan National Police. The EUPOL Handover of the Silver Medal to Col. Uwe Mainz HoM highlighted the achievements of the EUPOL mission and said that the success of the EUPOL mission depends on the hard work of its National and International staff. He wished all the staff best of luck. EUPOL-Serving Afghanistan online: 3

4 IN BRIEF EUPOL and Victim Support Finland Help Afghan Female Police Officers European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan in cooperation with the Victim Support Finland, organised a specialised training course for call takers of Helpline for Police Women at Afghan Ministry of Interior on April The training course taught the participants how to run a professional victim sensitive helpline service, how to give practical advice and support to police women in crisis or traumatic situation, and how to guide women when they wish to make an official complaint. The everyday life of Afghan female police officers is challenging. The women face discrimination of many forms. EUPOL Afghanistan builds the capacity of the Helpline for Participants of the course Police Women in order enhance possibilities for female police officers to work in a safe working environment in which professionalism is respected and discrimination based on gender or any form of violence against women are not tolerated, said Anna Piskonen, EUPOL Mentor - Human Rights and Gender. Victim Support Finland has 16 years of experience of maintaining a helpline service for victims and witnesses of crime in Finland. They teach the police officers victim assistance in a police academy in Finland. Developing the Police Staff College Organisational Structure Although considerable focus of the EUPOL Training Centre Development Department to date has been on developing and delivering leadership training for ANP Commanders, Officers, and General Ranks. Two examples of which are the District Commanders Course and the Zone and Provincial Commanders Seminars. Brian Johnston, Head of EUPOL Training Centre Development Department believes an important part of EUPOL s work at the Police Staff College is to ensure that all elements are in place for a functioning organisation. Thanks to EUPOL Head of Human Resources Mikael Romu lecturing at the training the support of EUPOL Head of Human Resources Mikael Roma and Human Resources Officer Paul Henriksson, EUPOL is able to provide specialist advice and assistance to the Commander of the Police Staff College, Major Gen Saed Norullah Zal. Thereby enabling him to build an efficient and effective organisational structure, capable of delivering in key business areas to allow his vision for the Police Staff College to become a reality. ETCDD in Bamyan A team from the ETCDD (EUPOL Training Center Development Department) visited Bamyan on 23 April to meet with the new police team from New Zealand and assess the current status of the Regional Training Center. They met with the Afghan team of instructors at the RTC and were briefed on ongoing training activities. Chief Mentor/Advisor Ines Thevarajah is the focal point for the development of the planned new training center in Bamyan that will be funded by the EU. Chief Mentor/Advisor Ines Thevarajah and Deputy Commander of Bamyan RTC Colonel Hassan Monawari EUPOL-Serving Afghanistan online: 4

5 IN BRIEF Third District Commanders Course The Third District Commanders Course started in mid-april Dr. Dirk van Vierssen has been responsible for overseeing the development and delivery of the District Commanders Courses. Dirk has been greatly impressed by the student`s motivation, eagerness to learn and willingness to exchange their experiences and views with their Afghan and International Colleagues. All students have expressed their gratitude at being afforded the opportunity to participate in the Course. Although keen to return to their Districts to put into practice the new competencies they have acquired in the course, they are aware that this is only the start of their leadership development and are looking forward to attending Chief Mentor Dirk van Vierssen lecturing at the course further leadership development and specialist courses at the Police Staff College. Further District Commanders Courses are scheduled to run at the Police Staff College throughout 2011, this will ensure that all District Commanders will have the opportunity to attend the five week course. Training Mentors Participants of the course EUPOL, the German Federal Police Academy and the German Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF) jointly organised a course on Mentoring and Advising. A total of 13 EUPOL international staff members from different departments participated at the course. The training was delivered by four German experts. The main topics of the course were mentoring methods, communication issues, documentation, evaluation, and reporting. In the Working with Interpreters module, four EUPOL interpreters participated. The course was designed to simulate the challenging situations of cross-cultural interaction. The participants found the five-day course to be a highly valuable learning experience that would enhance the future performance of the EUPOL mentors and Afghan mentees. Kabul International Airport Commander Invited to Germany The Afghan Border Police Commander at the Kabul International Airport, Brigadier General Juma Adeel and five of his commanding officers left Kabul Airport to Germany for an official invitation from the Federal Police of Koeln/Bonn. This was the first step to build up the new partnership between the two International Airports. This was signed a few weeks ago between the Commander of the Afghan Border Police Lieutenant General Noorzai and the Head of the German Police Project Team (GPPT), Brigadier General Wilhelm Schulz. EUPOL and GPPT supported the ABP officers with providing a Language Assistant, who is an Afghan Border Police Officer. On their return from Germany, the delegation reported that Afghan Border Police Delegation it was a great milestone for them. They have been instructed by their German colleagues in areas like immigration, aviation security and other aviation related issues. EUPOL-Serving Afghanistan online: 5

6 PEOPLE The Portrait: Loverne Amanda Scott-Heron, Denmark Mrs. Loverne Amanda Scott-Heron is a procurement specialist who has recently joined EUPOL as Chief of Procurement. She is leading a team of eight at the Procurement Department of EUPOL. I am honoured to have the opportunity to contribute to the efforts to restore peace and security in Afghanistan, says Loverne. Loverne holds Masters Degree in Management and Economics. She obtained her education in Jamaica, Barbados, Denmark and Sweden. Prior to joining EUPOL she worked in various procurement positions in the United Nations for more than 10 years. Her duty stations in the UN include Copenhagen, Denmark; Bonn, Germany, Khartoum, Sudan and Kabul/Afghanistan. In addition to that, she has worked in Trinidad, Loverne Amanda Scott-Heron Barbados and Bahamas as well. Loverne hopes for the best for Afghanistan. She hopes that Afghans will have real peace and security in their country. She expects that all Afghans, especially the young generation, should contribute to the peace and development process. All things are possible if you only believe, says Loverne. Loverne was born in Jamaica and currently lives in Denmark. She is married and has one child. Annual Charity Walk-Run On Friday 22 April, a Charity Walk / Run was held to raise money for a children's home in Kabul. The project is called La Chaine de L'Espoir Children's Project Afghanistan. The house where the children and families are hosted was established in March The purpose was to give medical and appropriate surgical treatment to the most vulnerable and poor children living in rural areas of Afghanistan. These operations are performed by the medical team from The French Medical Institute for Children (FMIC) with French doctors who do this for free. The aim of the project is to identify the poorest children from remote areas of Afghanistan and to ensure that they can receive treatment in the FMIC in Kabul. The organisation works closely with others like the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC). The subscription costs for the participants of the run were $ 40 USD. The event was organised by the Engineering Construction Company (ECC), and there were in total 180 participants including seven from EUPOL. The distances were 21, 10 and 5 km. The total amount of money that was raised was US. $ 20,000. This is enough to change the lives of 20 or more children. The next run might be organised in August or September this year. EUPOL Staff College New Design EUPOL-Serving Afghanistan online: 6

7 SERVICE EUPOL TODAY (28 April, 2011) EUPOL s mission strength is currently 315 internationals (183 police officers, 46 Rule of Law experts, 86 civilian experts) and 172 nationals. The 315 internationals are deployed as follows: 222 in Kabul (including mission management, mentors, trainers, Training Centre Development Department and International Police Coordinating Board, IPCB Secretariat); 90 in the regions; and three in the Mission Support Element in Brussels. EUPOL-Serving Afghanistan is newsletter of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan. It is published twice a month. Our aim is to provide an overview of EUPOL activities throughout the country. Text and photo contributions from the provinces are most welcome. Editorial Staff Aziz Basam and Mariam Asey Contact: press.office@eupol-afg.eu Contact Number: Ext:149 Special thanks to Michael Hunter, Allan Dahl and Norah Bamber Mission Statement: EUPOL Afghanistan shall significantly contribute to the establishment under Afghan ownership of sustainable and effective civilian policing arrangements, which will ensure appropriate interaction with the wider criminal justice system, in keeping with the policy advice and institution building work of the Community, Member States and other international actors. Further the Mission will support the reform process towards a trusted and efficient police service, which works in accordance with international standards, within the framework of the rule of law and respects human rights. COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2007/369/CFSP of 30 May 2007 on establishment of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan Disclaimer: The EUPOL newsletter is a publication of the Press and Public Information Office of EUPOL Afghanistan. Contents and views of the newsletter are not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by the Council of the European Union or the DG Press & Communication. EUPOL-Serving Afghanistan online: 7