Senior Palestinian Officials Participate in Study Trip to Belgium

2013-12-17

Ramallah, 17th December 2013 - Senior Palestinian officials from the justice and security sectors participated in a study trip to Belgium to enhance cooperation between the civil police and the prosecution service. Minister of Justice, Ali Muhanna, Chief of Police, Major General Hazem Attallah and Attorney General, Abed Alghani Al-Wiwi, took part in the four-day study trip, which was organized and facilitated by EUPOL COPPS.

The aim of the trip was to study the different mechanisms developed in Belgium between the public prosecution and the different police services to create a security policy and a criminal policy at national and regional level. The aim of the trip was also to exchange information on how to further improve mutual cooperation at operational level.

The Palestinian officials were accompanied by a delegation from EUPOL COPPS led by the Head of Mission, Kenneth Deane, and comprising the Head of the Rule of Law Section, Theo Jacobs and the Acting Head of the Police Advisory Section, Seppo Ruotsalainen.

During the visit, the Palestinian officials met the most important Belgian stakeholders - from the police and prosecution service - including Prof. Dr. Brice DeRuyver, the former security advisor of the Belgian Prime Minister who explained the theoretical framework of the concept of security and criminal policy making. They also met the Board of Prosecutors General and the Commissioner General of the Belgian Federal Police, two organizations which play a pivotal role with respect to police-prosecution cooperation on a strategic level.

In addition, the members of the delegation were introduced to police-prosecution cooperation on an operational level through meetings with the Office of the Chief District Prosecutor of Ghent, the Ghent Local Police Corps and the Federal Police Unit of Ghent.

During the trip, the Palestinian delegation, also accompanied by the Palestinian Ambassador in Brussels met the Belgian Minister of Justice, Ms. Annemie Turtelboom and paid a visit to the Belgian Institute for Judicial Training and also participated in the monthly meeting of the Prison Oversight Board. In addition, they met the most senior EU-officials and several EU -ambassadors from different member states to discuss EU support to the Palestinian justice and security sectors.