Police Reform

The fifth meeting of the Police Reform Steering Group has been conducted

There was the next 5th Police Reform Steering Group’s meeting on the 8 May 2013 in the conference hall of the Administration of the State Auto Inspection.

The meeting involved participation of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan - Lieutenant General Ramazon Rakhimov, the Chairperson of the Police Reform Steering Working Group, the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs - Major General Nurillo Oripov, the Police Reform National Coordinator - Colonel Zumrad Solieva, as well as heads of directorates and independent departments of the MIA Executive Office, the Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan (OiT) Mr. Markus Mueller, the Deputy Head of the OSCE OiT Mr. Hans Peter Larsen and other OSCE officials, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the US in Tajikistan Ms. Susan M. Elliott, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Germany to Tajikistan Ms. Doris Hertrampf, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of France to Tajikistan Mr. Didier Leroy, the British Ambassador to Tajikistan Mr. Robin Ord-Smith, the Deputy Head of the Delegation of European Union to Tajikistan Mr. Istvan Nyitrai, the Advisor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Tajikistan Mr. Rodion Atanesyan, the First Secretary of the Embassy of Kazakhstan to Tajikistan Mr. Nurlan Rahimdzhanov, the Head of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the US Embassy in Tajikistan, Ms. Linda Recht, as well as authorized representative from the Ministry of Public Safety of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Byan Yuitze. 
The Police Reform Strategy of Tajikistan for the period of 2013-2020 was presented during the meeting. The presentation “Projects of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, aimed at implementation of the Police Reform Strategy,” was presented by Mr. Ulf Billving, Counter Terrorism and Police Advisor of the OSCE OiT.
The Minister of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan Mr. Ramazon Rakhimov, while opening the meeting expressed his gratitude to the OSCE OiT for the constant methodical, advisory and technical assistance, provided to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan in its daily activities, particularly, in reforming and developing the Police of Tajikistan. He has noted that “the MIA of the Republic of Tajikistan makes all efforts to maintain public safety in the country, but we realize that combating modern threats is not a matter of only one state, and that the regional security can be achieved only by joint efforts and by support of such authoritative organizations as the OSCE.”
The Acting Head of the OSCE OiT, Mr. Markus Mueller, who has arrived in Tajikistan according to him “only four days ago,” marked in his welcome speech that he represents here “not only the OSCE OiT, but also all 57 OSCE member-states, representatives of which approved the OSCE Strategic Concept related to police functions on 26 July 2012. It is one of the key elements of comprehensive efforts of the organization to address threats to security and stability in the OSCE region caused as a result of organized crimes, including terrorism, human and illicit drug trafficking, it is also an integral part of its programs in the areas of conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation.”
“The fact of approval of the Police Reform Strategy by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Emomali Rahmon on 18 March 2013 will ensure an enormous support for implementation of the universal concept countrywide, as well as a guarantee for conducting reform of Tajik Police structure. The Ministry works jointly with international partners to create a new model of police for Tajikistan, which meets international standards for police activities, human rights, transparency and service for public,” stated Markus Mueller.
Zumrad Solieva, who made a presentation on “The Main Directions of Police Reform in Tajikistan”, has noted that the Strategy, developed by international and national experts, is aimed at identification of objectives, priorities and measures to reform and develop the police, implementation of which contributes to solve crucial issues of social and economic development of Tajikistan. It represents completely a new approach in ensuring police development in Tajikistan, taking into consideration world practice on drafting and implementation of similar strategic documents, lessons and conclusions from previous stages of police development, as well as existing realities and its improvement perspectives,” said Ms. Solieva.
One of the main goals of police reform in Tajikistan is the formation in the public mind an entirely new social image of a police staff, a corruption-free and aimed at helping citizens. For this purposes, it is very important to build the partnership “Police for Society, Society for Police,” which implies accessibility, improved level of service quality for citizens, ensuring transparency of police activities, engagement of civil society into the decision making process, taking into account needs of the citizens and etc.
In his presentation, Mr. Ulf Billving has marked that “in accordance with the Mainstreams of the Police Reform Strategy, the OSCE OiT has already developed several projects, which fully meet the objectives and priorities, developed by national and international experts of the Police Reform Strategy for the period up to 2020.” This is a “Police Reform Program: Phase II,” according to which the OSCE OiT will assist in drafting of the Law “On Police,” in developing of a Code of Ethics, based on the example of the “European Code of Police Ethics” and codes of police ethics of other countries. The standard for police procedures will be developed as well.
One more project is Promotion of Police Reform by civil society, to which the OSCE OiT, and the entire organization as a whole, attaches a particular importance to it.
Taking into account that the OSCE considers the development of community policing as a key element of policing, we attach utmost importance to the involvement of civil society to the ongoing reform,” stated in his speech Mr. Billving. “So in order to achieve the expectations of society, the police service should communicate with the community actively to identify its opinion. The police should protect public order in a way as the protected community wishes it.
Another project that Ulf Billving introduced to attendees is the “OSCE-Interpol: Support of Interpol in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan” project, which envisages procurement and installation of special equipment costing more than 250,000 Euro in 10 border-control points (BCP) and in the National Central Bureau (NCB) of Interpol in Tajikistan that would enable all citizens, passing border and migration control, to be checked through Interpol databases for searching them in the international wanted list.
The project was developed based on the study conducted by the OSCE experts from 4 to 9 October 2010 in 10 BCPs and NCB Interpol in Tajikistan, which were nominated by the Government of Tajikistan in September 2009, as well as on the technical assessment of application and issuance procedures for entry/exit and ID documents in Tajikistan, implemented by the OSCE, ICAO and IOM in June-July 2010. The project was submitted to the Tajik side in December 2010 and then numerous meetings were organized with Tajik experts concerning its implementation. There was a round table with the members of the Police Reform Steering Group in Tajikistan, which was attended by focal points from Passport and Registration Services (OVIR) of the MIA of Tajikistan, NCB Interpol, Main Directorate of the Border Troops of the State Committee on National Security of Tajikistan, Consular Department of the MFA of Tajikistan and General Prosecutor’s Office of Tajikistan on 29 August 2012 in the premises of the OSCE OiT. During the roundtable it was recommended to prepare comments and suggestions regarding the projects and to submit it to the Government of Tajikistan to solve an issue of signing the projects in accordance with the Article 16 of the Memorandum of Understanding on Police Reform issues. However, the issue is still unsolved.
“Meanwhile, the implementation of this project should confirm the will of the Republic of Tajikistan as an OSCE participating state, to strictly follow the security standards in the field of processing and issuing of passports and other travel documents, developed by the OSCE and ICAO,” - noted Ulf Billving, adding that “the importance of preventing the movement of terrorists and other dangerous criminals through effective border control and control the issuance of ID cards and travel documents, as well as preventing their counterfeiting, forgery and fraudulent use.”
The Ambassadors of the Embassies of the United States, Germany, France, and European Commission during their speeches expressed their support for police reform, started in Tajikistan and assured that they will inform their governments about measures, taken in Tajikistan to reform the MIA, aimed at creation of a new police model in Tajikistan, which will ensure the security of person, protection of his/her rights and legitimate interests of illegal encroachments.