OSCE trains Turkmenistan police trainers on the protection of human rights in countering terrorism

Police trainers in Ashgabat completed a three-day course on 15 March organized by the OSCE to help train future police officers in the protection of human rights while countering terrorism.

Trainers from the S.A. Niyazov Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs gained further insight into different methodologies available to help them develop and deliver courses on the protection of human rights in their counter-terrorism activities.

“The protection of human rights and respect for the rule of law, in accordance with international human rights obligations and OSCE commitments, are components of any national strategy aimed at addressing possible terrorist threats, which are a serious concern for all OSCE participating States,” said Ambassador Sergei Belyaev, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

The training course, based on the “Countering Terrorism, Protecting Human Rights” manual, developed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in 2007, was organized by ODIHR in co-operation with the Internal Affairs Ministry and the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. It follows a similar OSCE course given in Turkmenistan in 2010.

“Training police trainers to develop and deliver courses for the law-enforcement officers of tomorrow on the protection of human rights in combating terrorism is key to ensuring respect for human rights in the long run and, thus, a more effective way to counter this threat,” said Lucile Sengler, ODIHR Human Rights Officer on Anti-Terrorism Issues.

The event was part of ODIHR’s support to participating States in creating sustainable training programmes on human rights and anti-terrorism in police academies, judicial institutions and other relevant settings.