International

Police Scotland in Africa

April 29, 2017 by Alasdair Allan MSP No Comments | Category International Development

As a good global citizen, it is important that Scotland supports countries, with some of the most vulnerable people, out of hardship and poverty.

That is why we are funding Police Scotland to extend its specialist training for African police forces to tackle gender-based violence and improve child protection.

To 2019, the Scottish Government will provide £500,000 from its £10 million International Development Fund for the three-year project in its three partner countries – Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda.

As set out in our new International Development Strategy, the Scottish Government is taking a more regional approach and developing a programme across the three partner countries.

Officers from the force’s International Development and Innovation Unit are partnering with the United Nations-backed regional Centre of Excellence on Gender-Based Violence and Child Abuse in the Rwandan capital Kigali to develop policing techniques which better protect women and children.

Scottish officers have been working with the Malawian Police Service since 2016 as part of the Government of Malawi’s Food Insecurity response plan, and are also about to begin work in Central Province in Zambia.

Police Scotland’s global reputation for developing specialist gender-based violence and child protection programmes has been recognised by the United Nations.

By sharing Scotland’s expertise with the UN-supported centre in Kigali, it can be cascaded to other African police forces, wider than just those of our three sub-Saharan partner countries.

Police Scotland officers with local police at Chileka, Malawi.

Tags: Child abuse, Gender-based violence, international development, malawi, Police Scotland, Scottish Government, UN, United Nations, Zambia

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