as MoIA activities included in the Action Plan for Handling Children on the Street 2013 – 2015, 21 which aims for a holistic approach from all relevant institutions, including police, to treat this problem, and to raise public awareness of the protection of street children. 22 Accountability In 2012, the PDD continued its activities of the previous year aimed at encouraging accountable and transparent internal oversight mechanisms of the police, as reducing the level of corruption within the police was expected to contribute to improving citizens’ trust in the police and to sustaining professional behaviour and standards within the MoIA. To this end, a study visit was organized from 9-12 July to the Anti-corruption General Directorate (AGD)/Ministry of Administration and Interior of Romania to study “Effective Instruments to Fight Corruption within the Police Service”. Four representatives of the MoIA’s Sector for Internal Control and Professional Standards (SICPS) participated in the visit. A regional conference on “Prevention of Corruption in the Police - Police Integrity and Anticorruption Measures within the Ministry of Internal Affairs” was organized on 10-12 October in Veles in co-ordination with DCAF. The conference aimed at sharing best practices on ways to strengthen cross-border co-operation of the internal control services. Police Training This programme continued to focus on further enhancing the professionalization of MoIA staff. Capacity building activities were developed to help support the sustainability of the established training structures at the centralized and decentralized level, as well as to improve the managerial skills of MoIA mid-level staff. Activities included workshops, study visits, monitoring and evaluation activities, as well as targeted training courses, utilising modern training methods and curricula. Overall, 672 Police Officers were trained in courses organized or otherwise supported by the PDD in 2012. In 2012, together with the Embassy of France in Skopje, the PDD organized several innovative training courses for the MoIA’s Special Units Department (SUD) in the area of maintaining security and restoring peace and order. Several French experts from DCCRS 23 provided expertise to strengthen the SUD’s structure and performance capacity. On 2-6 April, 30 members of the Training and Support Unit received “Advanced Training on Techniques and Tactics for Maintaining and Restoring Public Peace and Order”. On 14-18 May, 12 members of the Special Tasks Unit received training on “Hostage Rescue in Tubular Structure” for Penetration Teams on Public Transport Vehicles. Specialists from the French National Police (RAID) took part in this exercise. On 24-28 September, the Department supported a course for eight members from the Rapid Deployment Unit and the Special Tasks Unit on “Mental-Tactical Training” which took place at the International Training Centre (ITC) in Budapest. Next to increasing operational capacity, the OSCE places importance on human rights during police operations. In this regard, on 15-19 October, the Department supported the training of 25 members of the Rapid Deployment Unit on “Maintaining and Restoring Peace and Order on the Occasion of Major Public Events - Democratic Management of Crowds”. The PDD’s 21 22 23 96 This strategy is led by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and was adopted in 2013 by the Government. As of 1 January 2013, under the re-structuring of the Mission, the Police Development Department (PDD) was going to come under a new organizational structure. The new Community Safety and Public Outreach Department would then encompass the Police Development Unit (PDU) and the Monitoring Unit (MU). Direction Centrale des Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité