OSCE Presence in Albania, Ministry of Interior co-operate to raise professional standards of police

TIRANA, 16 May 2014 – The Deputy Minister of Interior, Ilirjan Mustafaraj, the Deputy Director of the State Police, Altin Qato, and the Deputy Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Robert Wilton, recognized 33 mid-level police managers for their successful completion of a leadership development training programme.

The officers received certificates from the UK-based Institute for Leadership and Management, whose experts carried out the training under OSCE auspices.

“I want to stress that the establishment of a sustainable accredited education system offering quality training to Albania’s police and other public safety institutions is essential,” Wilton said. “For the Presence, today’s ceremony should not be viewed as just a one-off endeavour but as part of a long-term strategic effort to improve professionalism within the Albanian State Police, which the Presence will be pleased to continue supporting.”

The Presence launched the current leadership development programme for police in 2012, as a co-operative effort with the Ministry and State Police to provide tailored, sustainable and yet cost-effective training to further professionalise the police. To date, more than 100 first-line and mid-level managers in the State Police and the Border and Migration Police have completed the month-long training.

This programme is part of the Presence’s long-term strategic goal to develop and ensure adherence to the highest professional standards within the Albanian State Police. In this regard, the Presence works in partnership with the Albanian government and other international actors. The Presence will continue to assist the Ministry of Interior and the Albanian State Police to develop an accredited education system within the Albanian security sector.