Fifteen participants of the Royal PNG Constabulary will now be able to train officers to improve their work using a human rights approach.
The Bomana Police Training College, together with the Office of High Commission of Human Rights, conducted a workshop funded by AusAID under the Australian High Commission at the police training college in Bomana.
The officers attended this pilot training workshop, which began on Monday and concluded yesterday (Friday).
Representative of the United Nations Population Fund Walter Mendonca Filho says the training is the first of a series that will be carried out.
Filho says because it’s a pilot workshop, they sent in their human rights trainers to train police officers to get feedback. They wanted responses on how they can better develop materials and adjust them so that their delivery is relevant, up-to-date and useful in the performance of the RPNGC.
He adds that sometimes, it’s difficult to reconcile the theory of human rights with the day-to-day practice that RPNGC officers put into their work. That is why human rights are concepts and ideals that the United Nations promote and PNG is part of the United Nations so it is a commitment of the government to uphold these rights.
Filho acknowledged that when going out to enforce the law, officers will be faced with many difficult situations. He hopes that this training will guide them in the delivery and performance of their functions.
He also thanked the Australian government for their support in funding this training.
The United Nations has been sending out trainers and experts in the human rights field to conduct trainings to not only law enforcers in PNG, but worldwide.