13 October 2008
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16th INTERPOL Symposium for Heads of Police Training It is a great honour for me to be here today. Once again our great President and the National Police Commissioner of South Africa’s Police Service, Jackie Selebi, has ensured that INTERPOL and its member countries’ police services remain at the cutting edge of anti-crime educational, investigative and enforcement strategies. If one simply reviews the major initiatives that are underway at INTERPOL today and if one is honest, one must recognize that without our President, Jackie Selebi, we would not have been able achieve ½ of what we have achieved together over the last few years. Without Jackie Selebi we would not have been able to obtain unanimous agreement among our member countries’ police services to open the first global Anti-Corruption Academy in Vienna, Austria. Without Jackie Selebi we would not have able to put in place the world’s most comprehensive Bio-terrorism Prevention Training Program for Police that has trained 301 law enforcement officials from 115 countries. We would not have been able to embark on our most ambitious program to construct a 2d Headquarters’ building that would house several Global Anti-Crime Centres and that would co-locate police and other experts from around-the-world under the same roof. In these centres we will promote specialization in preventing and fighting Terrorism, Human Trafficking; Gun Trafficking; Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking as well as Intellectual Property and High Tech Crime. Our President has always been there when INTERPOL Member Countries needed his support or the support of the South African Police Service. Indeed, when you watch the Cricket World Cup being hosted by 9 Caribbean countries, you should be proud to know that President Selebi offered INTERPOL the services of Deputy National Police Commissioner Andre Pruis to hep train the Caribbean host countries on the intricacies of providing security for a global sporting event. South Africa is also providing 70 police officers to ensure on the ground support for the host countries during the event itself. In the process of helping the Caribbean put on a safe and secure Cricket World Cup, President Selebi will ensure that the South African Police Service will be even better prepared when it hosts the World Cup for Football in 2010. Yes, my dear colleagues, we are fortunate to be a part of INTERPOL where we can turn to one another for training support and on the ground support whenever it is needed. And now you have heard just some of the reasons why we are fortunate to have Jackie Selebi as our President. Thank you, Mr. President! It was almost two years to the day that I stood before the 15th INTERPOL Symposium for Heads of Police Training, which was held in Hong Kong, China. From the presence of around 160 delegates from some 62 countries here today, I am pleased to see that INTERPOL is not alone in our effort to “Build an international learning community”. You might recall that at the Hong Kong, China Symposium, I mentioned the need for us to think and act beyond national and regional boundaries if we are to more effectively combat international terrorists and transnational organized criminals, who do not respect such jurisdictions. But what has changed since then? How have we moved forward? Have we broken down the barriers? Are we prepared to share our knowledge, skills and competences with one another? I am pleased to see so many training professionals from the many diverse fields of expertise here today. This is a unique opportunity to come together and to share your experiences and knowledge so that others in the international law enforcement community will benefit. We owe this to our staff, be they managers or front line officers. But a conference itself is only as good as what happens afterwards. And that is why I am pleased that the South African Police Service, working together with the General Secretariat in planning this symposium, has put in place a mechanism to arrive at sound and practical outcomes at this symposium. These outcomes will serve as a common platform for member countries to work together in developing sound, practical and sustainable initiatives that can benefit the law enforcement community. I also mentioned at the Symposium in Hong Kong, China that INTERPOL would form a Training Office to better co-ordinate and facilitate international training efforts. This has been done and in the first year since its inception over 1100 officials from some 139 member countries have received training in one form or another. Just to highlight a few other initiatives since then. We have:
But we cannot do this alone. That is why it is so important at conferences such as this that we take the opportunities to identify new initiatives that can be developed beyond national boundaries, as well as provide added support to those initiatives currently taking place. One of the most important tools at ensuring the effectiveness of such initiatives is communication. Unless we can communicate effectively we will never be able to fully optimize global resources in the most efficient manner. Let me give just one example. How many countries wish to develop e-learning but do not have the tools or resources to do this? I can guarantee that in areas such as DNA and anti-drugs training there are literally hundreds of e-learning packages which have been produced. However often these are not widely known, cannot be accessed and therefore not shared amongst the broader law enforcement community. How many front line officers are aware of the services provided by INTERPOL? How many training officers in police services are aware of what INTERPOL does and what tools are available? Unless the initiatives that I have mentioned earlier are communicated effectively to you as heads and directors of training, then you and your training institutions will not be able to leverage on these readily available INTERPOL resources to add value to the training of our front line officers. Having said this, it is also equally important that member countries are able to share knowledge and best practices in a structured and effective manner. INTERPOL can and will facilitate this. Having visited 106 member countries since becoming your Secretary General in 2000, I am heartened and pleased by the tremendous efforts and resources being invested into police training. New police colleges and academies are being opened. Police training is being further professionalized through accreditation with various institutes of higher learning. Such developments provide an additional platform for sharing, and also a sound basis for establishing global standards for various aspects of policing. Although so much is being done, there remains much more to do. We need to constantly assess and re-assess the challenges facing us. We need to move forward in a manner that engenders co-operation so that everyone can benefit, not just those with available resources. This requires that police leaders have a strong understanding of international policing. This is essential in ensuring that their own officers are able to effectively collaborate with their counterparts in other countries in order to more effectively deal with the complex challenges that we face. There is an African proverb pertaining to education which says that “it takes a whole village to raise a child”. Just as the inhabitants of a village community must all work together to create individuals capable of confronting their future, so too must the training leaders of the law enforcement community all work together to prepare officers capable of confronting the ever evolving challenges of policing. In addition to being thankful to our President and National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi, we at INTERPOL’s General Secretariat are indeed grateful to the South African Police Service in its entirety for hosting and for providing security for this event. This Symposium which is yet another very powerful platform to share and learn from one another, and once again the South African Police Service is both leading the way and bringing us together. In this regard, I would like to put on record my appreciation to Divisional Commissioner Gary Kruser and his team of dedicated colleagues for putting together such a very well organised event. To conclude, I would like to reiterate a point that I made at the 15th Symposium and in which I continue to strongly believe. And that is: Policing is a difficult and dangerous job. There is no doubt in my mind of the dedication to public service of each individual who puts his or her life on the line each and every day. The strength and effectiveness of policing depends on each individual officer and staff member being willing to sacrifice everything to protect his or her fellow citizens and to serve his or her country or law enforcement organization. By concentrating on how to design, deliver and improve police training, we will help them, you and all of us to become more effective, to exercise better judgement, to make sound decision, and to improve the safety of us all. Simply stated, well trained and well educated Police officers are the key to ensuring safe societies. Let us make this conference become a cornerstone of improving the quality and effectiveness of police training. I wish you all a very successful conference. Thank you
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