International conference on Police Reforms completed
The International conference on Police Reforms started in Yerevan on November 26 contiued on Wednesdey, November 27. The second day of the conference consisted of 3 sessions.
During the first session reports on “Police accountability and transparency” were made in which the reporters touched upon the notion of Police accountabilty, spoke about the activity of internal and external Police oversight organs, as well as emphasized the significance of accountable and transparent Police system formation.
Chairman of Armenian National Assembly Permanent Commission For Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs Koryun Nahapetyan raised the main problems of parlamentary oversight over Police. Deputy Head of Police of the Republic of Armenia, Major General Artur Osikyan introduced Armenia’s experience in the field of Police accountabilty and trancparency. In particular, Mr Osikyan touched upon the activities of the newly established Disciplinary Comission and spoke about anti-corruption programs and Internal control processes.
Deputy Director of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces Philipp Fluri spoke about the role of the centre in promoting Police accountability and respectability.
The discussion of problems raised in the above-mentioned reports was followed by the second session of the conference which was devoted to the main problems of Police education. The participants reflected upon the necessity and importance of formation of such an educantional system which will enable to train police officers responsive to the needs of the modern society.
In her Report Senior adviser at the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces Ms Nevenka Tomovič touched upon the fundamental role of the professional education in formating modern Police system.
Head of Educational Methods and Development Department of Armenian Police Educational complex Karine Kirakosyan introduced Armenia’s experience in the relevant sphere, and Head of the Development and International Cooperation Unit of Georgian police Academy Mikheil Gelashvili spoke about the Georgian experience.
The role of community policing in reinforcing public trust in police became the main topic for discussion during the third session - “Public trust in Police”.
Acting Head of the OSCE Secreteriat’s Strategic Police Matters Unit Marco Kubny, Deputy Head of the Public Order Department of Police of the Republic of Armenia, Police colonel Karen Mehrabyan made reports.
President of the Armenian Association of Criminologists Ms Anna Margaryan introduced the results from surveys of confidence and trust in the police.
By the end of the conference Deputy Head of Police of the Republic of Armenia Mr Artur Osikyan, Acting Head of the OSCE Secreteriat’s Strategic Police Matters Unit Marco Kubny, Deputy Director of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces Philipp Fluri, Politico-Military Programme Officer at the OSCE office in Yerevan Mr Lilian Salaru made reports summing up the meeting.