EUPOL CoPP
| A Dutch Funded EUPOL Project implemented in Cooperation with GIZ-PIU
The focus of the two-week EUPOL CoPP-Training is a Coordination Manual that follows the adventures of a fictitious Samuniar Nasraddin and Saranwal Amanullah. The Manual was eveloped in a previous EUPOL / CMC Finland initiative by a working group of Afghan high-profile representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Attorney General’s Office, the Afghan Independent Bar Association, the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court, and is financed by the Government of Finland. Contact: cornelia.schneider@eupol-afg.eu kristin.hoeltge@giz.de Afghan Trainers
CoPP thus not only offers a more direct line of communication between trainers and participants. It also acts as an accelerator for building up sustainable training capacity within the Afghan Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of Interior, the Bar Association, and the NGO community, without permanently taking those professionals out of their working environment. Exchange of Ideas One of the primary purposes of the EUPOL CoPP-Training is to provide a meeting place for police officers and prosecutors, where they can exchange ideas and practise joint problem solving approaches. The EUPOL CoPP-Training places a strong emphasis on “matching” CID officers from a certain zone or district with their respective counterparts. The emphasis is on learning from each other and sharing their expertise. The trainers expressly introduce themselves as “facilitators” rather than teachers. The exchange extends beyond the class room. Participants also mingle during group lunches and, during residential courses, in the evenings. For many, this is the first time they have met. EUPOL Mentors The EUPOL CoPP-Training is taught by Afghans, but supported by specialist EUPOL mentors from the Police and Rule of Law side. Mentors sit with participants during working group sessions and provide advice and guidance.Wherever possible, mentoring will continue once the training is over.
Afghan Ownership and Cooperation The EUPOL CoPP-Training was developed at the request of the Afghan Ministry of Interior and the Attorney General’s Office. Both institutions have been involved every step of the way - as advisers on project content, as signatories to a Note of Understanding with EUPOL and GIZ-PIU, by sending out a Joint Directive to all 34 Afghan provinces requesting their participation in the process, by attending important CoPP ceremonies, by temporarily seconding CoPP trainers, or by sending representatives to the EUPOL CoPP-Training Project Board meetings... Specialised Training Materials Focusing on a murder case study to be solved by a fictitious Afghan CID officer and prosecutor, participants receive a workbook that requires them jointly to find solutions to a number of key issues. Targeting professionals from all over Afghanistan, the workbook offers a selection of basic to advanced exercises, using a wide range of tools such as drawings by an Afghan artist to group exercises to complex legal research questions. A regular feature of the workbook is the requirement for participants to make regular notebook entries and submit reports. Matching Participants and Participants Database
Emphasis on Gender With the percentage of female police officers or prosecutors in its single digits, involving Afghan women in EUPOL CoPP-Training courses is a challenge. CoPP actively encourages the participation of women in its training courses. In addition, one of three permanent CoPP project staff members is a woman, as is one of its ten CoPP trainers. Roleplays and Simulations The working materials offer numerous opportunities for participants to engage in interactive learning and to enact what they are discussing, often resulting in enthusiastic participation—such as that of a grieving father defending himself against an allegation of honour killing during a simulated interview. Participants also receive feedback from their trainers on how they perform during presentations and negotiations. They practice how to collect their thoughts effectively and present the most relevant points to others. Office Support Another element of the CoPP Project is to support the offices of participating police officers and prosecutors with small-scale office needs such as stationery, business cards, or mobile phone credit. In addition, on successful completion of the EUPOL CoPP-Training, each participant receives for his or her office a set of important Afghan laws in the relevant national language, provided by GIZ. The set includes the Afghan Constitution; the Police Law; the Criminal Procedure Law such as the Criminal Procedure Codes, the Law on the Structure and Authority of the Courts, the Law on Detection and Investigation; as well as an Introduction to Afghan Law and Criminal Justice. A project for the entire country Conscious of the difficult conditions prevailing in the country, the EUPOL CoPP-Training is taking place in five Afghan cities that can be accessed relatively easily by the entire CoPP team: Kabul and Bamian in the Centre, Mazar in the North, Herat in the West, and Tarin Kowt in the South. The EUPOL CoPP-Training explicitly targets the entire police and prosecutor population, with a generous travel and accommodation budget that allows CoPP to invite participants even from remote districts and provinces to attend. The feasibility of expanding to further locations is currently being investigated. Related articles:
|
|
The CoPP Project has recruited and trained a special pool of ten Afghan trainers, who represent a cross-section of Afghan justice professionals. On a rotational basis, each EUPOL CoPP-Training course is conducted by at least two of those trainers, matched to represent both the police and the law/prosecution side. Trainers are assisted by EUPOL mentors who provide regular feedback and advice on training methodology and substance.
“The police is my life”
CoPP* Training in Western Afghanistan
