Tripoli, 18 June 2013:
Another step towards ensuring Libyan children are protected has been taken with a five-day workshop for police officers, who can now train other members of the force on child rights.
Eleven police officers took part in the training, which was one component of a project to build an effective and sustainable child protection system in Libya. The training, organised by the Interior Ministry and the United Nations children’s fund UNICEF, was led by an international expert in children’s rights, Dr. Ghassan Khalil.
It covered the principles and provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was ratified by the Libyan government in 1993, as well as relevant Libyan legislation. Participants were also trained in modern learning methods and how to set objectives for the future training sessions they will run.
“This training is the stepping stone for a bigger achievement,” said UNICEF’s Libya Country Director Carel de Rooy, adding that: “The implementation and willingness of the Libyan population is key to the success of providing children with the protective environment needed.”
De Rooy praised the willingness and commitment to the initiative of the police, represented by the Director of National Security, Colonel Mahmoud Al Sharif, without which, he said, “such progress could not be achieved.”
The training was part of an ongoing partnership between UNICEF and various government ministries to create a complete system for child protection. Similar training schemes have been run with the Ministries of Social Affairs and Justice. These workshops, for trainers, are the start of a capacity building plan for police, social workers, judges and prosecutors in child protection systems [/restrict]
