2nd phase of UN GBV course kicks off in Musanze

MUSANZE-The second phase of the United Nations course on standardised training in investigation and prevention of sexual and gender-based crimes (GBV) for Police officers from French speaking countries began Tuesday at the Rwanda Peace Academy, Nyakinama, Musanze District. Rwanda is the first country to host the course in both English and French. Andrew Carpenter, the Chief Strategist at the UN Police Division, commended the country’s contribution to the UN Peace keeping operations, especially using female police officers, in conflict and post-conflict countries. He commended Rwanda for having the highest number of female police officers in UN peace keeping missions globally. ‘’This is a groundbreaking course which should ensure that wherever men and women are deployed, they address this human crime. You should take the battle back home to train others so that we have a reservoir to deal with this crime,’’ Carpenter advised. The two-week training of trainers program, organised by United Nations, Department of Peacekeeping Operations, UN Police Section, attracted 13 police officers from French speaking African countries, Canada and Switzerland. The Minister of Justice, Tharcisse Karugarama, who presided over the official opening, said that Rwandan had outlawed any forms of cultural gender based violence, observing that several measures have been employed to combat the crimes. The UN facilitator, Sylvia De Sousa, from the Montreal Police in Canada, said that the Rwanda National Police’s initiative of One Stop Centre will be recorded and a report sent to the UN to offer lessons to other countries on ways to deal with victims of GBV. The course focuses on the dynamics of sexual and GBV, UN resolutions, mass rape and genocide, and investigations in gender-based crimes in conflict and post-conflict countries. Ends