The purpose of this Annual Meeting will be to gather from the participating States and international partner organizations experiences and good practices in implementing community policing while implementing police reform with the aim to strengthen safety and security in participating States.
In accordance with the Ministerial Council Decision No. 9, MC(9).DEC/9, Police-Related Activities, Ninth Ministerial Council Meeting in Bucharest, 4 December 2001 and with the PC.DEC/1049 “The OSCE Strategic Framework for Police-related Activities”, the Annual Police Experts Meeting (APEM) provides a platform for dialogue on current topics of both regional and international level.
Police services that enjoy community support and improve security can have a positive impact on development. In this way, police reform through community policing became a key element of conflict management in the OSCE area.
A community-based approach aims both to reform the police and to improve their public image. It is not confined to dealing with crime, but proposes that police and communities work together to address citizens’ concerns. If successful, it can support development, as well as boosting security. Besides a well-planned strategy for reform, a minimum level of order and political commitment are required to make it work. International actors need to co-ordinate their work based on a shared understanding of goals.
During the discussions in the APEM following the presentations of the panellists, the experts from participating States will have the opportunity to express their views on the topics of each of the sessions.
The plenary sessions of the APEM will focus on the experts’ exchange of experiences and good practices in the strategic planning and implementation of community policing and crime prevention at the legislative, strategic, procedural, organizational and training level.
Participants of the APEM will be requested to draw up conclusions and recommendations on how to improve police reform efforts amongst pS and on how to improve the collaboration between police services and other law-enforcement agencies in the OSCE area.