OSCE Mission assists Georgia in police reform

TBILISI, 2 September 2005 - A team of OSCE police experts today met officials of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs to discuss short-term measures for the ongoing police reform in the country.

The five-month Short Term Assistance Programme (STAP) for Georgian Police, supervised by the OSCE Mission to Georgia, will help in basic police training and strengthening the personnel management system, as well as in equipping the Police Academy's new library.

STAP is part of the Mission's ongoing expert package to support the Government in implementing progressive police reform. The programme paves the way for a larger project - the Police Assistance Programme - which is due to start later in the year.

The Mission to Georgia works closely with the Vienna-based OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit, which offers assistance to OSCE participating States in community policing, police training, personnel management, and overall police reform, as well as in developing codes of conduct and introducing international standards.