UN System trains Ivorian security agents on criminal investigation techniques

"Women have been and continue to be victims of violence. It therefore seemed necessary to us to furnish the police and gendarmerie with the knowledge on how to handle this problem," the Deputy Representative of United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Ndolamb Ngokwey said at the opening of a training course for police and gendarme investigators of gender-based violence on Tuesday, 3 September 2013.

The training programme for some 800 security agents and officers organized by the UN System in collaboration with the Ivorian government falls within the framework of the project to support the restoration of public order and state authority and aims at giving credibility to the work of the forces of law and order among the population.

The training course comprises 23 different sessions over a period of nine months. Tuesday's opening session at the National Police College in Abidjan was attended by several members of government, the diplomatic corps and the United Nations.

The Deputy UN Special Representative, Ndolamb Ngokwey pointed out that the protection of the population was a noble task and a major challenge. "That is why the UN System has committed itself to assist the Ivorian government to set up a credible system of justice," he said, adding that UN Resolution 2112 clearly spells out the importance of fighting against injustice.

The Ivorian Minister of Planning and Development, Kouame Lancina acknowledged that gender-based violence constituted an obstacle to development and said the training of law enforcement agents contributes to reestablishing peace in Côte d'Ivoire.

The project for the restoration of public order and state authority is being financed by the Fund for the Consolidation of Peace in Cote d'Ivoire (PBF) to the tune of $10 million (5 billion CFA).