From 20 to 22 September in Aktobe, the Office co-organized with the Interior Ministry with support from the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) and the Canadian Embassy in Kazakhstan a three-day training seminar for law-enforcement officers on best practices and international standards in policing in multi-ethnic societies. Some 15 mid-level police officers and local representatives from across the country learned about the importance of police sensitivity to inter-ethnic relations, as well as how to build capacity in dealing with inter-ethnic relations within police structures. Experts from Canada, Russia and Ukraine together with a representative of the High Commissioner of National Minorities presented their expertise and knowledge on implementing multi-ethnic policing concepts, principles and practices as well as how to apply them in daily work.
Topics included diversity cultural and religious awareness, language issues, building trust and rapport and bridging cultural barriers with a community, as well as how diversity awareness should be incorporated into public assembly management, as outlined in the HCNM Recommendations on Policing in Multi-Ethnic Societies. Participants learned from case studies and examples based on the experience of police in different countries and engaged in practical exercises to learn about conflict prevention and resolution.