Enhancing Human Rights Awareness Among West African Police

Police trainers from various West African countries conduct a mock press conference before their colleagues, accounting to a community after a hypothetical public order police operation.

Police trainers from Commonwealth West African countries met in Abuja, Nigeria, from 12 to 14 July 2005 at the first regional capacity-building workshop to enhance their knowledge and skill in incorporating a human rights-based approach to policing into their existing police training programmes. The event was organised by the Human Rights Unit (HRU) of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

More than 30 instructors from police training colleges in Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone were introduced to the comprehensive 'Commonwealth Training Manual for Police Trainers'. This manual was developed by the HRU this year in collaboration with police trainers in West Africa.

At the opening of the workshop, Nigeria's Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, noted that "police work entails more than bringing to justice those who breach the law. It encompasses service functions and the promotion of social happiness where the notions of justice, fairness and the pursuit of the common good are the focus."

The Inspector-General emphasised the need for human rights principles to be fed into the training and operational structures of police work. He stressed that the challenge of policing is to ensure that "the increasingly complex and multiple functions and obligations of the police to keep peace and maintain law and order are balanced with individual rights and democratic ideals."

Jo Ford of the HRU said: "Human rights in policing is important as a matter of principle and legal obligation, but also as a practical matter: abusive conduct by police officers alienates the community in which they live and work, leading to cycles of distrust, making police work harder to do."

The participants pointed out that police officers also have rights as individuals and should be protected against humiliation and discrimination based on race or religion. Mr Ford stated that by showing restraint, integrity and dignity even in provocative situations, police officers can help to build a peaceful society and improve the public image of the police force.

Jarvis Matiya, Acting Head of the HRU, said the Secretariat plans to distribute the training resource widely and to conduct similar regional training workshops for police instructors in other parts of the Commonwealth.

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 244, 20 July 2005

Key Links:

• Human Rights Unit
• Human Rights Training Manual for West African Police