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EUPOL COPPS involved in discussions on Security Sector strategic plan drafting to support Palestinian Ministry of Interior

EUPOL COPPS involved in discussions on Security Sector strategic plan drafting to support Palestinian Ministry of Interior

The Head of EUPOL COPPS (HoM), Karin Limdal, met with the Palestinian Minister of Interior (MoI), Ziad Hab Al-Reeh, on 28 January in Ramallah.    On the occasion, the minister mentioned about the challenges Palestinian security forces are facing while enforcing law and order, especially in the northern West Bank districts. Mrs. Limdal said that EUPOL COPPS is ready to provide support to the new three-year Security Sector Strategic Plan. Amongst the 23 advisers of EUPOL COPPS’ Security Sector Reform Section, two advisers from Portugal and Sweden are allocated to the MoI, providing advice on strategic planning and policy.     

EUPOL COPPS and Palestinian Attorney General Office discuss future cooperation

EUPOL COPPS and Palestinian Attorney General Office discuss future cooperation

The Head of EUPOL COPPS (HoM), Karin Limdal, met with the Palestinian Attorney General Akram Al-Khatib to discuss ongoing activities and cooperation, on 29 January, in Ramallah. The participation of Palestinian prosecutors in EUPOL COPPS activities, that are continuing despite the challenging situation in the districts, was mentioned in the meeting including the review of the public prosecutor-police Memorandum of Understanding and the organisation of a large-scale prosecution-police conference. The Chancellor conveyed to the HoM his appreciation for the Mission’s efforts in the organisation of a three-day event held in Bethlehem focusing on enhancing cooperation among all criminal justice actors, adding that it would be appreciated if this project could be taken forward to other districts in Palestine.    

EUPOL COPPS’ support to Palestinian High Judicial Council remains unwavering

EUPOL COPPS’ support to Palestinian High Judicial Council remains unwavering

The Head of EUPOL COPPS (HoM), Karin Limdal, met with Chief Justice / President of the Palestinian High Judicial Council (HJC), Mr. Mohamed Abedghani Aliwawi, on 28 January in Ramallah. Especially under the current circumstances in the region, the Mission’s support for the Justice Sector, and the HJC remains unwavering, said Mrs. Limdal, during the meeting, adding that EUPOL COPPS’ support is aimed at exploring the challenges the HJC and the courts system are facing, mentioning the recent cooperation both with Swedish- and Jordanian court authorities facilitated and financed by the Mission. Asked about the preparedness of the HJC for Gaza, the Chief Justice said that a needs assessment was submitted to the Ministry of Justice.  “The justice sector in Gaza Strip is destroyed. We must start from scratch there,” added Mr. Aliwawi. During the meeting, the important role of the Palestinian Judicial Institute in training future judges was discussed and in connection with that the HoM welcomed the HJC efforts to form a female judge’s network to promote female empowerment and career advancement without obstacles in the judiciary.

EUPOL COPPS and Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission jointly work on Palestinian Bar Association skills enhancement

EUPOL COPPS and Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission jointly work on Palestinian Bar Association skills enhancement

Corruption exists in EU countries as in Palestine. To enhance the anti-corruption methodology skills of lawyers from the Palestinian Bar Association, EUPOL COPPS and the Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission delivered a joint training session on the definition and classification of corruption crimes, and the investigative processes, on 29 January, in Ramallah.Thirty-four lawyers (20 female) attended the training session.As exchange of best practice, EUPOL COPPS Swedish advisors on prosecution share examples of what works in their country.EUPOL COPPS places significant emphasis on supporting anti-corruption initiatives in Palestine, recognizing their vital role in state-building and the enhancement of the rule of law. 

EUPOL COPPS and Palestinian Civil Police held workshop for training coordinators

EUPOL COPPS and Palestinian Civil Police held workshop for training coordinators

Despite the difficult circumstances affecting the West Bank, 30 Training Coordinators for the specialised Departments of the Palestinian Civil Police (PCP), made it to Ramallah to attend a training coordinator workshop to improve the communication and coordination between the different departments. The event ran for two days, from 27 to 28 January. The topics of the workshop included administration, gaps and challenges management, gender, human rights, communication skills, planning and evaluation. Overall, the workshop aimed at further enhancing the PCP officers’ capabilities, sharing experiences, with crosscutting benefits among the various departments. “This is not a traditional workshop,” Brigadier General Abdelhakeem Abu Al-Rob, head PCP Training Administration, told the attendees, in his opening remarks. “This is an interactive and more specialised workshop that would   facilitate the knowledge exchange and to enhance engagement between the attendees,” added the Brigadier General, sitting next to two EUPOL COPPS training advisers -- Anu Aro from Finland and Rui Cristovao from Portugal. “What you do as coordinators ends up in important judicial institutions, in courts and elsewhere and without your efforts, the chain of justice cannot be complete”, the Finnish trainer told the attendees.

EUPOL COPPS’ coaching at the Bethlehem Family and Juvenile Protection Police Department continues

EUPOL COPPS’ coaching at the Bethlehem Family and Juvenile Protection Police Department continues

The greetings look like the ones among good friends. Handshakes, smiles and hugs. The venue is the Bethlehem Family and Juvenile Protection Department (FJPD), which is part of the Palestinian Civil Police (PCP), where EUPOL COPPS FJPDs coaching sessions take place. Here, together with key officers in this team, the head of branch, Mohammad Ghannam, met EUPOL COPPS’ Family and Juvenile Protection expert Anna Sanden and Marie Hummer, Senior Police Adviser on general policing, both from Sweden, prior to the hands-on working session taking place on 21 January. The pre-training discussions focused on the ongoing cooperation between different PCP departments among each other and the Mission, including on the use of Tablets.  Together with the 30-year-old FJPD Captain, and her colleagues, Captain and Investigation and Management officer, the EUPOL COPPS advisors agree on a coaching session for the day focusing on methods to build a solid evidence-based case, including on sexual related crimes. Aware of the different cultural context and applicable laws, the Swedish police officers shared about best practices and cases they gained experience on during their career at home. It was mutually agreed that one can discuss a model and see what applicable in Palestine. The Palestinian officers shared about cases they worked on, including sensitive cases concerning the age of consent in relation to sex and the involvement of the families and the Sharia courts to solve them, and the related connection with the rule of law in Palestine. The West Bank SOPs on juvenile protection, drafted with the involvement of legal advisors, international actors, such as UN women, courts and also Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the role EUPOL COPPS can play on this given the hands-on subject matter expertise, was also discussed during the session.  

EUPOL COPPS and Palestinian partners join forces to combat environmental crimes

EUPOL COPPS and Palestinian partners join forces to combat environmental crimes

EUPOL COPPS and key Palestinian counterparts joined forces to combat environmental crimes. Representatives from the Attorney General Office (AGO), the Customs Police, the Environmental Quality Authority (EQA), the Ministry of Agriculture and the Tourist Police attended a workshop to tackle challenges they face during their daily work when investigating environmental crime, in Bethlehem on 22 January. The participants, from the districts of Bethlehem and Hebron, discussed several topics during the one-day workshop, such as identifying gaps in the work of all the concerned parties, identifying training needs, reviewing different international agreements and identifying the scope of work of each party. In addition, some procedural and technical problems, such as reporting between all, were also discussed. This workshop was led by Mission’s advisers from the Prosecution Team and the Environmental Adviser. Following the workshop, EUPOL COPPS’ advisors involved in the activity will further provide recommendations on a way forward in enhancing the work between the judicial entities in the field of combatting environmental crimes. The Bethlehem workshop was preceded by a similar event held in Ramallah in December. 

 Tackling solid waste management issues in Palestine

Tackling solid waste management issues in Palestine

The alarming issue of the process of collecting and treating solid waste, or solid waste management, to recycle waste products, poses a significant challenge for a society where populations are increasing exponentially.    To enhance its Palestinian counterparts’ awareness about how to deal with environmental crimes, especially solid waste, EUPOL COPPS Environmental Investigation Adviser from Germany held a workshop for about 18 Palestinian partners, on 20 January in Ramallah.   The training was attended by prosecutors responsible for investigating environmental crimes, police officers representing relevant departments, officers from Customs Police and inspectors from the Environmental Quality Authority (EQA) Several issues were discussed during the training session, such as enhancing participants' understanding challenges to handle environmental crimes, especially solid waste cases in Palestine, managing solid crime scene, explaining the different roles of all parties, from the start of an investigation to the referral of the case to the Prosecutors’ office.  The German advisor stressed that to effectively combat environmental crimes, it is crucial to develop a comprehensive understanding of the issue, addressing the underlying causes and strengthening the mechanisms for detection, investigation, and prosecution. By adopting a multifaceted approach, it is possible to mitigate the impacts of environmental crimes and contribute to a more sustainable future.  

EUPOL COPPS IT equipment’s handover in Bethlehem enhances Palestinian partners effectiveness in the field

EUPOL COPPS IT equipment’s handover in Bethlehem enhances Palestinian partners effectiveness in the field

The Bethlehem Palestinian Family Protection and Juvenile Unit (FPJU), part of the Palestinian Civil Police (PCP), conveyed to EUPOL COPPS about their needs for technology, namely tablets, to speed up their work, especially in Palestinian districts. This need-base assessment led to EUPOL COPPS’s handing over of this kind of equipment to the Bethlehem’s FPJU, on 16 January in their city. EUPOL COPPS’ Family Protection and Juvenile advisor, Anna Sanden, from Sweden, runs a project to support the FPJU together with senior police adviser general policing Marie Hummer from Sweden and other EUPOL COPPS Advisors, including Criminal Investigation (CID) experts. Anna said that the work will continue by creating networking between FPJU officers and PCP IT department officers, so that best practices on the use of technology can be shared, including though joint training activities.

EUPOL COPPS and Palestinian Bar Association call for enhancing criminal justice system’s effectiveness

EUPOL COPPS and Palestinian Bar Association call for enhancing criminal justice system’s effectiveness

The Head of EUPOL COPPS (HoM), Karin Limdal, reaffirmed the Mission's commitment to continuing its support to enhance the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in Palestine, during a meeting with the Head of the Palestinian Bar Association (PBA), Lawyer Fadi Abbas, held in Ramallah on 9 January. Lawyers play a vital role in safeguarding human rights, agreed Mrs. Limdal and Mr Abbas during the meeting. Training of legal professionals, early legal representation for juveniles, legal aid and law drafting were among the topics of discussion. The HoM expressed her interest in the progress made by the PBA and the justice institutions, in particular on legislation, namely of the Criminal Procedures Code and on Legal Aid. The head of the PBA announced that the PBA is working on a legal aid system that will be presented to the upcoming general body meeting, according to the legal mechanisms. The HoM also emphasised the significance of the collaborative work between the mission and the PBA in promoting the right to early legal representation for juveniles, framing it as a pilot project aimed at extending this right to all citizens. Furthermore, the HoM highlighted the importance of mutual efforts to establish the Female Lawyers Network, whose official launch the Head of the PBA agreed to.  The engagement of Civil Society Organisations in discussions related to the amendment of the Criminal Procedures Code, as linked to fundamental constitutional rights of Palestinian citizens, was also discussed and the HoM outlined the support the Mission is providing to the Palestinian Council of Ministers to establish a more consultative and participatory legislative process.