One of Us
Roberto Arcieri – Head of Operations
In his early teens EUPOL COPPS Head of Operations, Roberto Arcieri, already envisaged he would wear a uniform as a grown-up. Being born in 1973 and raised in the ancient Grumo Appula, founded in Roman times and part of the Alta Murgia National Park in Southeastern Italy, Roberto grew up observing at close range the difference between good and bad, which translates into the State and its enemies. The organised crimes generally known as the mafia, was at the time active primarily in the South of the Italian peninsula, yet, moving its tentacles within transnational business and corruption. Exemplary Italian institutional figures like anti-mafia judges Rocco Chinnici, Giovanni Falcone, Paolo Borsellino, and Carabinieri officers like General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, Lt. Col. Russo, Cap. Basile paid with their lives their long-lasting fight on organised crime. They all died in the line of duty to defend the principles of legality, justice, freedom, equality, and dignity, by opposing the criminal power that threatens democracy. The ultimate sacrifice of some fellow Italians has been the game changer for Roberto, who picked the right side of the law joining the Italian Carabinieri (one of Italy’s primary law enforcement agencies, distinguished by their military status and broad range of responsibilities both domestically and internationally) at the age of 19. Being a Carabiniere has meant Roberto to be constantly on the move, either in his country, or abroad. “I was never in the same place for more than four years” says Roberto, who nevertheless managed to raise two children, now young adults, together with his wife. Roberto, who has the rank of Colonel, joined EUPOL COPPS last year, but he was not new to Palestine, as he was already here working for Carabinieri MIADIT (Missione Addestrativa Italiana) Mission in the framework on the US State Security Coordination (now Office of the Security Coordinator - OSC) coalition. Prior to that he has worked in various capacities, in different Italian regions fighting common and organized crimes, in international engagements in Bosnia Herzegovina, Eritrea, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Mali and also in Brussels, Belgium, focusing on African issues. As a EUPOL COPPS Head of Operations, leading colleagues working to support Palestinian justice and civilian security sectors, Roberto feels the experience changes him every day. The keyword in the Palestinian context is “flexibility” says Roberto, who strives to find solutions to the continuous challenges faced by the Palestinian counterparts the Mission is mandated to support, and for EUPOL COPPS itself. An approach certainly appropriate given the uncertainty facing Palestine and the wider region at this very moment.
Khadija Aldeek
When EUPOL COPPS Financial Verification Officer, Khadija Aldeek from Palestine, sits down at her desk, she does not just see numbers on spreadsheets or invoices; she sees the foundation of trust that holds the entire mission together. At EUPOL COPPS, the Birzeit University accounting graduate reviews transactions to ensure they are in line with EU rules, related internal policy and international best practices. Having worked with international organisations and with major Palestinian companies, she brings international know-how together with local knowledge to her job. For Khadija financial verification is not a box-ticking exercise, but a necessary step towards accountability and transparency. She sees it not just as a rule to be followed, but as a safeguard—a way of making sure every euro is spent as it ought, of building trust, and of keeping the Mission's financial systems secure. In the seven months she's been working at EUPOL COPPS, she has made a real impact. Her influence extends beyond paperwork. She is a valued mentor to colleagues across departments, helping to clarify on procedures and best practices. "I don't merely point out mistakes, I also show how to prevent them," she says. "My goal is to enable others to do better when following EU financial rules." Her no-nonsense, calm approach has also made her a source of contact for employees who are struggling with money matters. She's made many see this work differently, transforming it from a chore into a chance for development and learning. "Done correctly, financial verification protects the entire organisation. It's not just about finding mistakes—it's a matter of trust-establishment, system-strengthening, and knowing that every decision is being made on the foundation of accurate, verified information," she says. With her integrity, professionalism, and enthusiasm, Khadija Aldeek isn't just implementing financial regulations—sews a culture of accountability and trust, one transaction at a time, says Khadija, a dedicated mother of three, balancing family and career with discipline and focus.
Maria Ek Odsjo
Our deputy Head of Justice Unit, Maria Ek Odsjo, is a senior judge in her mid-50s. In Sweden, where she comes from, she has for the last years extensively been working on asylum and security related cases, including dealing with individuals arriving from then ISIS ruled Syria and Iraq. The cases she was presented with, reached Maria through the criminal justice chain, having been dealt with by the Swedish police before arriving on her desk.. Her latest role in the Swedish justice system was to lead and manage the work of around 45 legal professionals. Each of them had cases to solve. Maria had the overall oversight and also, depending on the situation, the responsibility to approve asylum, . This has exposed Maria with a wide range of people coming from parts of the world she had never travelled to. In other words, she had the opportunity to get to know different cultures through human and professional interaction doing her job in Stockholm. Asked when and how the decision to be a judge appeared on her life horizon, Maria answers that this happened during her time as a young law clerk in a small town in her homeland. Having always been interested in society and political science, Maria initially chose law for her university studies with the initial attitude of “giving it a try”. She explains that she “very much liked both criminal and civilian proceedings, as well as social law”. Much later, as an experienced professional, Maria represented Sweden in Brussels, working at the Swedish Permanent EU Representation with law drafting. The choice to join EUPOL COPPS and come to Palestine is partly linked to her experience in dealing with many cases involving people from the Middle East.. “I wanted to experience the culture firsthand, meet the people, to see for myself what it looks like, to experience what it means to walk through Damascus Gate in the daylight and at night. Now that I can do it, I know what an amazing feeling it is to pass by this special place. This means something special to me and has taught me something essential about different life conditions. When Maria first joined the Mission, she was a Senior Justice Advisor advising her Palestinian colleagues on court proceeding related matters. She had the possibility to learn from her Palestinian colleagues and share her own experiences from her own professional career. Working in an international environment such as an EU Mission is also somehow life changing, indicates Maria. “In my current role, I strive to support my colleagues in solving challenges and problems, when these occur. With the counterparts I now see my role as a way of giving my contribution to advancing Rule of Law in Palestine”. Among the milestones carrying a personal touch during her career as a judge, Maria recalls the time she had a case of a Palestinian family coming from Iraq exposed to a very difficult situation where she contributed to them being granted asylum on the basis of the need for education of their young children aged 10 and 12. As every new experience in life produces a change in each of us, working in Palestine has made Maria, as she explains, a bit humbler as an individual, more understanding of difficult situations, having had the chance to see these firsthand. The realisation of having an EU-passport appearing “privileged” compared to others, for example Palestinians (many can’t even have one), is also a humbling experience, says Maria, who has observed what happens at border crossing points like the Allenby Bridge (border between Israel and Jordan, editor’s note), seeing the difference of procedures occurring according to the kind of documentation provided. “I now understand a lot more things about the people from the Middle East I met in my country” says Maria. When thinking about the time when she will be returning to Sweden, Maria believes her experience in Palestine will make her a better judge. Although, she said, I think I would prefer to have further experiences in CSDP Missions after Palestine before returning to be a judge in my country. She has pinned Ukraine on the map, where a sister EU Civilian CSDP is deployed, however that will have to wait as there still so much to do here to support Palestine.
“I want to be one of them”, said 4-year-old Anu pointing at a police car
Looking out of the window at her grandparents’ house in the town of Pori, Finland, Anu Aro, asked her grandma what that was pointing the finger at a police car. “I want to be one of them”, said the then 4 years old Anu. It was the winter of 1974. By the age of 23, after having spent a sabbatical in Cyprus (1989-1990) working as au pair, Anu joined the Finnish Police, getting first a Diploma in Police Studies, then a Bachelor in Police Command Examination, and a master’s degree in Social science studies from Universities in Finland. Whilst working and studying, Anu had 3 daughters, now age 30, 28 and 22. At present, while deployed as a Finnish secondee at EUPOL COPPS as Senior Police Advisor in Training, Anu is about to finish another master’s degree in security and risk management criminology at the University of Leicester, in the UK. EUPOL COPPS is not the first international mission for Anu, as she consecutively worked in international missions as of 2104. She served in Afghanistan (EU and GIZ/German cooperation), Liberia (United Nations) and Somalia (EUCAP Somalia). Asked “why” EUPOL COPPS at this stage of her personal and professional path, Anu recalls that this very Mission was the first she ever applied for in 2012. “I was the second-best candidate” says Anu, explaining that she opted for Afghanistan, to later discovered later that the selected competitor for Palestine did not go in the end. Therefore, when recently a possibility materialised to join EUPOL COPPS it felt for Anu like closing a circle, so she applied for the position she now covers, explains Anu. Another reason for joining EUPOL COPPS, continues Anu, is the fact that she is “a person constantly working on self-development and self-education, passionate about history”, always eager to see with her own eyes about the situation on the ground in Palestine, which she read about for long time. When discussing about the challenges that a woman, a mother, can face about the choice of joining a Mission, Anu says: ‘When I went to my first Mission my youngest daughter was 12. It was possible for me to go to know everything was fine at home, as I had a good agreement with her father. Anu reveals that at time she felt criticized by some of her male colleagues in the Finnish police for her choice to go leave her children to go to Missions . “The advice I would give to women willing to be deployed in Missions is to ignore other people’s opinion. Of course you change your life, so you might lose some friends because there is less time to spend together”. Anu underlines the importance of the quality of time she had and has with her daughters when serving in Missions, like going on holiday together. She also recalls hard moments as several times she fond herself under attack in Afghanistan, having to spend up to 16 hours in a bunker, with all the consequential difficulties in communication with her family. “I always called my daughters from the bunker where I sheltered with my colleagues to reassure them. I have always tried to inform them about everything because things go so fast to the news nowadays and I want them to get the first information from me instead of reading it from the internet”. Talking about her daily work at EUPOL COPPS Anu explains that she finds out about what kind of trainings are needed by the Palestinian Civil Police, focusing also on Gender mainstreaming. She tries and find out for example why women do not attend certain training activities and what should be done about it. “Nowadays Palestinians are willing to send their daughters to train as police officers, also as a source of income for the family, but at the same time there are worried about their safety”. Anu recognises that her long-term experience in many crisis areas makes her “a very different person than before”. “I see the difference between me and people that have had similar life and professional experiences and the ones back home that have not” says Anu. “For example, at home people debate about politically correct wording of things, or topics that looked at from other parts of the world frankly look irrelevant”. The woman who aged 4 knew she would wear a police uniform, concludes: “my observation is that in wealthy countries people easily see small things as a problem, unlike in places where people have worries about bringing food on the table and have to walk long hours for water or to reach the workplace”.]
Meet our Senior Police Adviser - General Policing
The Press and Public Information Office is pleased to introduce the next Advisor in our ‘Meet our Advisors’ section. Christian is a German colleague, very soft spoken and kind, and we are very much in awe of his years of experience and interesting expertise as a Police Officer. 1. Tell us a little about yourself (nationality, professional background and experience and expertise) My name is Christian, I am a police officer from Duesseldorf in Northrine-Westfalia in the western part of Germany and can look back on a 30-year career. I have spent more than ten years in various (leadership) positions in the riot police and I served several years in a permanent service unit that supported the Chief of Police in large operations. Since 2017 I have been a senior police officer and have held different positions in crime fighting/prevention, operations and project management. I introduced the distance electro impulse device, also known as Taser, in my (last) Headquarter, and developed regulations as to how to use it. 2. Explain your portfolio here at EUPOL COPPS I have been a EUPOL COPPS Mission Member since August 2023. I am a Senior Police Adviser in the area of General Policing. In this position, there is no unit that I look after exclusively. Conversely, I support my direct superior in areas where there is a need. Before the 7 October, it was the Bethlehem Project, while currently I am responsible for Crowd Management and Information Led Policing. 3. What do you enjoy most about forming part of EUPOL COPPS, and about working in the Region? Due to the current situation, it is not easy to respond to this question in the manner it deserves. From a personal perspective, I like the flexibility in my position and that I can get to know different portfolios and counterparts. The people are very friendly, hearty and hospitable. In a way, people are more relaxed and take life easier. In Germany we have so many rules and sometimes we make it difficult for ourselves. I experience that difference here in a positive way. This region is so rich in history, I am grateful to be able to work in a CSDP Mission here. I understand the Middle East conflict more and more because I live and serve here. I get my knowledge and understanding of the conflict from the different people I talk to, who tell me their experiences and impressions. And not just from the media like many others who don't have the chance to be here on the ground. Of course, the events since 7 October have been dramatic and many people are suffering. That also has an impact on my daily work and feelings. 4. What are the challenges you face, and how, in your view, may they be overcome? I think the situation was already challenging before the eruption of the current crisis, but now it has become even more so. Despite the challenges and the evolving situation, which we cannot influence, we as EUPOL COPPS have remained on the ground the whole time. We are aware of our responsibility and, even in this difficult situation, I think it is important to show the PCP and our partners that we are there. We are not leaving our counterparts alone and continue to offer our support. In particular for the day after the war. The situation is also challenging for all of us advisers. At first our families just missed us after we have been deployed. Now they are very worried about the security situation. We see our counterparts and our local colleagues suffering. Many other people are suffering. I think it's important to strengthen your own resilience. We talk a lot about the situation and I experience a high level of mutual support. Despite all the tragedy, that is the positive side. Press and Public Information Office: Christian, many thanks for granting us the interview. It is a pleasure for us to get to know you further!
Meet our Head of Security Sector Reform Section
Despite the turbulent times here in the Mission Area and beyond, EUPOL COPPS very recently welcomed our new Head of SSRS (Security Sector Reform Section). Our Finnish colleague Kai joined us from Finland. Kai has served in the region before, also within EUPOL COPPS, and as a Mission, we are very fortunate to have him back in our midst. Press and Public Information Officer spent some time with Kai to get to know him a bit better, and we would like our audience to get to know him too. Tell us a little about yourself (nationality, professional background and experience and expertise) I come from Finland. I am a serving police officer with over 33 years of professional experience of which 17 years in senior management level. My current job is in the National Police Board which is the supreme command of Finnish police. My special responsibilities are the strategic management of national K9 activities, national procurement and budgeting of protective gear and weaponry and Nordic countries uniformed policing co-operation. I’m also one of the supreme command national duty officers. My background contains experience from almost all aspects of policing: uniformed policing, criminal investigations, technical surveillance, immigration and weapons administration, all in both operational and supervisory positions. I have worked as a teacher in the Police College of Finland teaching operational leadership and management. I have also worked as a head of drug investigations department of the Finnish Customs. On an international perspective I have lived away from Finland for some time of my life. As a child I lived in Australia for five years, one year in Saudi Arabia and two years in Iraq. After that I spent one year in the USA as an exchange student. As an adult I have spent one year in South Lebanon in the UN peacekeeping mission. In 2011-2012 I was seconded to the USSC Ramallah -mission as a senior police advisor with the responsibility of assessing and validating the Intermediate Leaders Course for the PA security forces. And my latest secondment here was 2016-2017 when I was the senior police advisor for community policing. So in a way my current post as the Head of SSRS seems to be a logic continuation. My expertise is widespread and I have a good understanding on almost all aspects of policing as well as their interconnectivity and dependence. I have management and leadership skills of both police and civilian personnel. Explain your portfolio here at EUPOL COPPS My post within EUPOL COPPPS is the Head of Security Sector Reform Section (SSRS). The job description contains the leadership and management of the section as well as providing expertise in the issues needed. Within SSRS, I am very fortunate to have an excellent team of Police Advisors coming from all sectors of expertise. What do you enjoy most about working in the Region, given that this is not your first experience here? The people are very friendly and hospitable and easy to talk to. For a Finn (we are mostly regarded as mute) this is very refreshing and on the other hand also slightly intimidating! I am intrigued by the history and complexity of the region. The historical sites all around the region tell stories of different times and reigns. I see them as monuments of the rise and fall of eras. I also think that the landscape is one of the most beautiful in the world, in all of its ruggedness and with all its different features from the northern mountains to the rolling hills towards the Dead Sea, the Mediterranean seashore and deserts towards the Gulf of Aqaba. What are the challenges you anticipate facing, and how, in your view, may they be overcome? I think we are witnessing the greatest challenge in EUPOL COPPS history at the moment. The situation has dramatically and sadly taken a horrendous turn in the past days and weeks. Despite the challenges, we as a Mission continue to implement our mandate with our counterparts, notwithstanding the trying times we find ourselves in. It comes as no surprise that the focus of our counterparts is very much on the current situation. However, life needs to continue and it is clear that most of the people want stability and safety in life. I believe that EUPOL COPPS, together with our counterparts are making a grand effort in making this possible. How will this challenge be overcome is a million dollar question… I believe we need to “keep on keeping on” and try to think about the “day after”. When this is over the time will come for reconciliation and stabilisation. In my perspective we play an important role. Every individual EUPOL COPPS family member has her/his part to play in supporting the communities and people. Press and Public Information Office: Kai, thank you very much for granting us this interview! It is indeed a pleasure to welcome you back to EUPOL COPPS. Within the PPIO Team, we are proud to work alongside you and the SSRS Team, and sincerely look forward to building upon our excellent collaboration.
Meet our Senior Police Adviser -Institutional Development - Human Resources
In our interviews so far, we’ve encountered a number of EU colleagues, as well as a Turkish colleague. Nevertheless, here at EUPOL COPPS, we are also fortunate to have two Canadian colleagues forming part of our Security Sector Reform Section (formerly named the Police Advisory Section); Canada being one of the three Third Contributing Countries to EUPOL COPPS. Our dear colleague Shelly has been with us for over a year. Always ready with a helping hand, our counterparts not only benefit from Shelly’s long years of experience and expertise, but also her kind and soft spoken approach. Tell us a little about yourself (nationality, professional background and experience and expertise) Thank you for this opportunity. I have over 35 years of policing experience with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s National Police Service and 5 years’ experience as a Vancouver City Police Reservist. As a result, I have been afforded many opportunities that have provided me with a diverse background of experience, ranging from serving in Indigenous/Diverse communities, at Municipal, Provincial and National levels and at various ranks. This has provided me with comprehensive experience in multiple fields of expertise. I have worked at the strategic, tactical and operational levels throughout my career and have been afforded the experience to develop and work with strategic frameworks at Provincial/Federal government levels in Canada. I have a comprehensive back ground in a variety of specialties in policing: General Duty Policing, Crime Scene Analysis, Community Policing, Crime Prevention/Crime Reduction, to name a few. All from operational, tactical, philosophical and strategic perspectives; as well as extensive knowledge of Police Administration, Conduct and Human Resources practices and procedures. At a Federal level in Canada, I was seconded to the Office of the Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-status Rights (now Indigenous and Northern Affairs). I worked on and participated in the development of multi-jurisdictional social programs for Indigenous peoples at both the Federal and Provincial levels. Cultivating and fostering strategic long term partnerships was a critical component of achieving success. Prior to arriving in Mission, I was the acting Criminal Operations Officer in New Brunswick. In this role I was responsible for all operational, tactical and police operations responses in the RCMP jurisdictions of New Brunswick, including Gold Commander (Critical Incident Command) during a national incident. My substantive position was the Officer in Charge of the RCMP North-East District in New Brunswick. There, I was responsible for the operational and administrative policing functions for one third of the Province. I had a team of 181 employees. My area of responsibility consisted of 10 detachments, 5 Indigenous communities, approximately 99 communities/villages, with a land radius of approximately 20,000 square miles. I have a Masters in Consitutional Law and Certficate in Human Rights law. Explain your portfolio here at EUPOL COPPS During my nearly year and a half in Mission, I have been holding the following portfolios: Institutional Development - Human Resources In this portfolio, I have been actively working with my counterpart on the development of individual performance assessments. This project is being piloted in Jenin and Bethlehem, and will train unit leaders on supervision and performance indicaters of their team members. Accountability The project in this portfolio started with a baseline study of public complaints and was done in conjunction with my counterpart in the Grievance and Human Rights‘ Department. The project is in phase 4 of 7 phases. Field visits to police detention/holding cells have also been conducted to look at their processes. The Palestinian Police Women’s Network I was honoured to be part of the original organizing group for the conference held in May 2022, and since that time I have been the portfolio lead, assisting the 25 founding members to develop their Terms of Reference, elect their Board Members and assist with their official launch in January 2023. To date they have organized their application processes, logo and communication, whilst work is continuing on their annual plan. What are the challenges you face, and how, in your view, may they be overcome? At times I found it difficult when other international stakeholders are working on same or similar projects and there was no communication or coordination. This has been overcome by cultivating and fostering relationships/partnerships, along with increased communication. What do you enjoy most about forming part of EUPOL COPPS, and about working in the Region? I most enjoy the people here, my counterparts in the region, as well as my colleagues from around the world who join me here in the Mission. The Region is filled with so much history, that prior to arriving here, it was a bit of a mystery to me; however now seeing and hearing from the people here, as well as forging what I believe will be long lasting frienships, the history and culture have come alive for me. It truly is an honour to be here working alongside my colleagues and with our counterparts.
Meet our Planning and Policy Advisor
Seeing a colleague sporting a Turkish uniform in the corridors of an EU CSDP Mission is not an everyday sight. Nevertheless, with Turkey being one of the three Third Contributing Countries to EUPOL COPPS, we are fortunate to have our dear colleague Ozkan in our midst. Always with a ready smile, Ozkan’s friendly approach is never failing. Despite his years of experience, Ozkan’s humility makes him an asset within the Mission, and we are fortunate to call him a colleague and friend. Tell us a little about yourself (nationality, professional background and experience and expertise) My name is Ozkan Baran and I am a National Police Officer from Turkiye. My rank is 2nd Degree Police Chief Superintend or Police Colonel. I have been a member of the Police Advisory Section at EUPOL COPPS since June 2022, where I am the Police Adviser for Planning and Policy. Turkiye is one of the third contributing countries to this Mission, together with Norway and Canada. I have more than 26 years of policing experience, both at the national and international levels. I managed many administrative and judicial responsibilities back in my country. On the international scene, I have been posted within the United Nations Missions in Kosovo and in Haiti and the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, and at the Turkish Embassy in Bangkok/Thailand. I have much experience on combating against human trafficking, drugs, illicit goods and weapons; armed robbery; counterfeit and money laundering and serious/organized/transborder crime investigations as well as planning and capacity building areas. I am currently the only Turkish Police Officer working in the mission area. I am very proud of being here in the Palestinian Territories and assisting the Palestinian Police both in their present responsibilities as well as in preparation for their future. Something that makes me very happy is the warm welcome of both our local counterparts as well as the Palestinian population, which certainly makes my work more pleasant. Explain your portfolio here at EUPOL COPPS Within the Police Advisory Section, I am the Police Adviser for Planning and Policy. Essentially, this means that my role is to assist the Palestinian Police improve the safety and security of the Palestinian population, as well as to support the Palestinian Civil Police reform and development, not least by contributing to the PCP Strategic Plan for the coming years. What are the challenges you face, and how, in your view, may they be overcome? I am very happy to be here and working with very professional Mission Members from EU Countries. Working with different colleagues hailing from varied cultural understanding and different working habits of law enforcement only serves to enrich my experience. The Mission is taking an important role to make the Palestinian Territories more stable and secure and also to improve the Institutions under Palestinian ownership. I am here to support them in assisting in the building of their institutions. Being part of this Mission is a great opportunity and I enjoy all my time working with my international colleagues and Palestinian counterparts, in addition to enjoying the close and warm relationship with the Palestinian citizens during our activities. What do you enjoy most about forming part of EUPOL COPPS, and about working in the Region? I consider myself fortunate not to face many serious challenges during the daily execution of my responsibilities. Of course, being far from home and my family sometimes causes a degree of stress, as expected. However, the plus side is that, these days, long distance communication has definitely made our lives easier. A special thanks goes to my wife for always handling all kinds of challenges back home, in my absence. I would like to end by wishing all the very best to my local counterparts and Palestinian citizens, as well as a safe and secure return back home to all my international colleagues. Press and Public Information Office: Ozkan, many thanks for taking the time to grant us this interview. Your positive approach and outlook are undoubtedly examples for all of us to follow!
Spotlight on our Translators
Since the inception of EUPOL COPPS in January 2006, interaction between the Mission’s Palestinian counterparts and international advisors who speak different languages and come from different cultures has been a fundamental part of the Mission’s work and a natural consequence of face-to-face communication. In its broad sense, the purpose of interpretation and translation is to facilitate communication, create bridges and aid others to cross linguistic and cultural boundaries. Undoubtedly, communication is central to the work of a translator. Inasmuch as without translators there can be no facilitation of communication, translators are not only a backbone of the Mission, but indispensable to its success. EUPOL COPPS employs a pool of eight qualified and experienced translators that do verbal interpreting, non-verbal translation and cultural communication in a multicultural milieu. Verbal interpreting is generally performed in two modes: consecutive and simultaneous. Consecutive interpreting usually takes place in formal meetings during which interpreters render what is said in the target language, English or Arabic. Simultaneous interpreting is performed in real time during workshops and conferences involving large audiences. Occasionally, Mission translators use background interpreting or chuchotage, which is one-to-one direct interpreting where the interpreter whispers the translation to a very small audience. In the context of the work of the Mission, non-verbal or written translation may include the translation of various texts such as police related documents, legal papers, laws, press releases, action plans, manuals and guidelines. The high level of concentration, accuracy and prompt response underpinning both verbal and non-verbal translation as well as the mental activities involved in the comprehension, deverbalisation and reformulation processes bring to the fore the challenges faces by our translators on a daily basis. In addition to the important role of translators as converters of messages from one language to another, they are of paramount importance to cross-cultural communication. As cultural mediators, EUPOL COPPS translators have both the linguistic and cultural competences to facilitate communication between international advisors and their local Palestinian interlocutors. Their familiarity with the cultures of the source and target languages is instrumental in bridging the cultural gap between international experts and their local counterparts. Lack of knowledge and understanding of other cultures may cause confusion, misunderstanding and sometimes offense during communication, hence missions prudently employ local translators to avoid or minimise potential for misunderstanding. Understanding the customs, manners and social traditions of communities where missions operate will enhance and optimise their work. In the case of EUPOL COPPS, such understanding indicates the respect of international mission members for the Palestinian community and their integration into the reality of Palestine. Indeed the interest of international mission members to learn the local language, Arabic, demonstrates their interest in the Palestinian community and its culture, and reflects cultural sensitivity and good breeding. Nonetheless, the cultural role of translators is not limited to bringing mainstream social cultures closer. Mission translators render effective communication in two other cultural domains, namely the police and the rule of law subcultures. Both policing and law are socio-cultural phenomena linked to the larger mainstream culture of the Palestinian community. Given the seriousness of the work of the police and the justice system, the translators of the Mission undertake assignments knowing full well that if the act of translating or interpreting is not carried out to a satisfactory and professional standard it could have grave and far-reaching consequences. Translation/interpretation is a communicative activity that signifies interchange between cultures. Such interchange takes place through the medium of language and it requires a human agency – or a translator. In the words of the British novelist Anthony Burgess, “Translation is not a matter of words only; it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.” Press and Public Information Office Comment: The entire Mission is very grateful to have such a dedicated and professional team of translators on board. Your work is an essential part of the EUPOL COPPS engine, and I speak on behalf of all Mission Members in expressing our sincere thanks to you all for making our constant interactions with our local counterparts possible! Thank you!
Meet our Information Led Policing Senior Advisor
Simon Remillard, our Information Led Policing Senior Advisor, has held a number of thoroughly interesting portfolios during a career spanning more than 30 years! In addition to his vast career, Simon is exceptionally knowledgeable about a vast number of issues, including but not limited to languages, cultures, history, geography and political science to name but a few. Always ready with a friendly smile, it is with sincere regret that Simon is approaching his end of Mission shortly. Yet, as we say in Mission life, colleagues may come and go, but true friendships endure… Tell us a little about yourself (nationality, professional background and experience and expertise) My name is Simon Remillard. I am Canadian, 55 years of age, and my studies include 3.5 years of Police College, and both a Bachelors + Masters in Administration. I possess over 30 years of policing including 2 months in Haiti, 1 year in Afghanistan, 1 year in Ukraine, and one year and (almost) three months here at EUPOL COPPS. I hail from Montreal city, which is the second largest city in Canada. I started my career with patrolling, then spent several years in the tactical team (SWAT), followed by investigations in a wide array of areas, including general, crime scene, narcotics, fraud; and I now supervise criminal investigations. I also have a strong focus on linguistic, historical and cultural studies. Other than English and French, in my career for work purposes I have studied the culture, history and language of Haitian Creole, Spanish, Russian and now Arabic. Explain your portfolio here at EUPOL COPPS I work on ILP, Information Led Policing. This is essentially the police activities and behavior of collecting information from all sources and police actions; analyzing emerging, shifting or migratory criminality trends, and recommending to the Strategic level how to better allocate Police resources, to act earlier or better police responses and police services. The objective is to prevent, mitigate or stop such criminality trends. By way of example: Analysis can reveal that when the COVID pandemic struck, and all restaurants and bars closed for months, while there were nor increase, nor decrease of violent crimes, and previously 65% of violent crimes would occur between 11PM and 4 AM; the trend shifted and the bulk of violent crimes occurred between 8 PM and 01 AM. The theory and relation was made between the occurrence of violent crimes, and the opening hours of areas where alcohol was served. By plotting all violent crimes on the map, and where all restaurants/bars are located, it was confirmed that previous violent crime hotspot concentrations were mainly located close to bars. It was also confirmed that the violent crimes regions were migrating from where the bar areas were, to where the AirBnB apartments were concentrated, as they were being used to replace bars for parties. We could thus tell the Strategic level WHERE and WHEN to increase patrolling officers, and that when the National level would allow bars to reopen, to immediately shift patrolling resources from the AirBnB areas to the Bar areas, as we could anticipate the migration of violent crimes back to the hours and areas of where the alcohol sales would occur. What are the challenges you face, and how, in your view, may they be overcome? There are many challenges, but none that cannot be overcome. The first is dissociating Modernisation from Westernisation. The Palestinian Civilian Police, our main counterpart, want to modernise to be more effective, whilst maintaining their unique Palestinian culture and heritage. In the words of Samuel Hungtington, political scientist, Modernising does not mean Westernising. Our modern policing techniques were historically built on Western culture and values. We must recognize what is modernity vs western, and seek to offer modern practices all while recognizing opportunities to respect Palestinian culture. An example is a Central command of policing and emergencies vs regional committees that manage areas/Districts. This latter can be considered a ‘clan’ approach, which can be a challenge to the Central approach. The Palestinian people must navigate these waters and decide what policing model they want, whilst we at EUPOL COPPS stand ready to support. The other challenge is time. (PPIO: we can all relate to this, Simon!) We wish we could assist the PCP in overhauling their practices overnight and give them all the best of what we can offer, but we often forget that neither Europe nor Canada did it overnight. Rome was not built in one day, and nor were any of our police forces. Montreal police has existed for 180 years, and the RCMP for 150 years. In my 30 years of policing, I have seen the evolution of my own police force (for the better), which means that after its initial 150 years of existence, there still was place for both modernization and improvement, and I have no doubt the Montreal police will continue striving to make itself better in the next 30 years to come, and beyond. We need to be patient, and not think that it should take the Palestinians 10 or 20 years. Cultural values, practices and technology will always evolve, and so should the notion of Good Governance in all its efforts. What do you enjoy most about forming part of EUPOL COPPS, and about working in the Region? Firstly, the execution of the mandate of EUPOL COPPS is very important to local and regional peace, and global stability. In all the countries I have visited or worked in, it is common in our culture to be good citizens by helping our neighbours. I see this as an extension of this philosophy. When other regions of the World need help, it is relevant to try and help when we can. Secondly, this region is so rich in Humanities History, it is fascinating to see such ancient traditions and cultures, historical sights side by side with modern technology and global integration. This loops back to the previous comment. What used to be a neighbor has evolved in time. Today, due to globalisation and integration, we are all neighbors, including Canada who is a big EU partner, and who has both Israeli and Palestinian citizens back home. While my individual help might be one grain of sand in the bucket, I am glad to be a partner of both Palestinian people abroad, and Palestinians who now call Canada or Europe home. Simon, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you during your tenure at the Mission, and we sincerely wish you all the best in the next chapters of life. Know that you’ll be very fondly remembered here at EUPOL COPPS.