AKIPRESS.COM - A three-day training seminar for law-enforcement officers on best practices and international standards in policing in multi-ethnic societies began today in Aktobe, Kazakhstan.

The event was co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), with financial support from the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) and the Canadian Embassy in Kazakhstan.

Some 15 mid-level police officers and local representatives from across the country will learn about the importance of police sensitivity to inter-ethnic relations, as well as how to build capacity in dealing with inter-ethnic relations within police structures. Experts from Canada, Russia and Ukraine together with a representative of the High Commissioner of National Minorities will present their expertise and knowledge on implementing multi-ethnic policing concepts, principles and practices as well as how to apply them in daily work.

Topics covered during the training will include diversity awareness, cultural and religious awareness, language issues, building trust and rapport and bridging cultural barriers with a community, as well as how diversity awareness should be incorporated into public assembly management, as outlined in the HCNM Recommendations on Policing in Multi-Ethnic Societies. Participants will learn from case studies and examples based on the experience of police in different countries and engage in practical exercises to learn about conflict prevention and resolution.

Ambassador György Szabó, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana said: “As history has sadly shown us time and again, conflicts can arise and cause even seemingly monolithic systems to become chaotic, leading to tragic consequences for society and for the country, and even for the whole region. Police engagement with representatives of all facets of society helps to diffuse potentially volatile situations and to make police work more efficient.”

In a speech delivered at the Institute, Salimgerey Karakush, Head of the Bukenbaev Institute of the Ministry of Interior noted: “The police is the entity which contributes to the preservation of peace, law and cultural relations in society. I believe that this seminar will serve as the key to unlock new challenges, to gain new knowledge in this field. Our officers will return to their places of service and will implement this knowledge to their daily work with the community.”

The event is a follow-up to last year’s training in Aktobe for senior-level police officers. It is part of the Office’s long-term strategy to promote community policing in the host country.