Newsroom
Multi-ethnic police training course in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia welcomes its first intake
SKOPJE 14 February 2002
SKOPJE, 14 February 2002 - Over 100 police cadets have today officially embarked on a nine-month training programme for multi-ethnic groups of recruits. The programme, jointly designed by the Macedonian Government and the OSCE, includes three months of intensive basic police instruction at the Education Centre for Security Personnel in Idrizovo, followed by six months of highly-structured field training.
Developing a multi-ethnic police force is a major step towards rebuilding confidence in a country still struggling to overcome the suspicion and fear generated by last year's conflict. It is also one of the main requirements of last August's Ohrid Framework Agreement, in the field of non-discrimination and equitable representation of citizens from minority communities. The agreement foresees the training of 500 new police officers by July 2002, and the training of a further 500 by July 2003.
At the opening ceremony of the training course, the cadets were told by the Director of the OSCE Police Development Unit in Skopje, Bart D'Hooge, "You will be proof that the framework agreement is not just a political document, but an exercise to represent and unify all ethnicities in all components of society. In other words, a stronger, multi-ethnic and unified Macedonia starts here and now".
An important aim of the curriculum, designed with a substantial contribution from the OSCE police instructors, is to ensure that the future police officers become familiar with the concept of community policing.
"Together, you will protect human rights, and ensure that all decent people feel safe and secure, regardless of their race, ethnicity or religion", the Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Craig Jenness, told the cadets in his address.
The first class comprises 61 ethnic Albanians, 20 ethnic Macedonians and 20 representatives of other minorities: Serbs, Roma, Turks, etc. For the next three months they will all train together under the guidance of senior Macedonian police instructors and OSCE international police instructors. The course will encompass a wide variety of skills required for policing in a democratic society, including human rights in policing, crime investigation, defensive tactics and applicable laws.
On 4 March, the second intake will begin classes at the refurbished Idrizovo Centre, on which the OSCE Mission has invested some 400,000 euros, with another 1.8 million euros to be spent before the end of the project.
Developing a multi-ethnic police force is a major step towards rebuilding confidence in a country still struggling to overcome the suspicion and fear generated by last year's conflict. It is also one of the main requirements of last August's Ohrid Framework Agreement, in the field of non-discrimination and equitable representation of citizens from minority communities. The agreement foresees the training of 500 new police officers by July 2002, and the training of a further 500 by July 2003.
At the opening ceremony of the training course, the cadets were told by the Director of the OSCE Police Development Unit in Skopje, Bart D'Hooge, "You will be proof that the framework agreement is not just a political document, but an exercise to represent and unify all ethnicities in all components of society. In other words, a stronger, multi-ethnic and unified Macedonia starts here and now".
An important aim of the curriculum, designed with a substantial contribution from the OSCE police instructors, is to ensure that the future police officers become familiar with the concept of community policing.
"Together, you will protect human rights, and ensure that all decent people feel safe and secure, regardless of their race, ethnicity or religion", the Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Craig Jenness, told the cadets in his address.
The first class comprises 61 ethnic Albanians, 20 ethnic Macedonians and 20 representatives of other minorities: Serbs, Roma, Turks, etc. For the next three months they will all train together under the guidance of senior Macedonian police instructors and OSCE international police instructors. The course will encompass a wide variety of skills required for policing in a democratic society, including human rights in policing, crime investigation, defensive tactics and applicable laws.
On 4 March, the second intake will begin classes at the refurbished Idrizovo Centre, on which the OSCE Mission has invested some 400,000 euros, with another 1.8 million euros to be spent before the end of the project.