During interviews with arrested persons in 2011 and 2012, the DHRC SMS noted significant
deficiencies in their treatment by the KP. Furthermore, the lack of knowledge of international
human rights standards and domestic laws of individual police officers was evident on
several occasions. Therefore, the DHRC SMS organized a three-day ToT on the use of force
and detention, which was successfully delivered to the KP by an international expert hired by
OMIK. In total, 18 police officers benefited from the training.
In 2012, the DHRC SMS also continued supporting the establishment of a local detention
monitoring mechanism. Such a mechanism would borrow from the Optional Protocol to the
Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (OPCAT). One of the main provisions of the OPCAT is the establishment of
National Preventive Mechanisms (NPM), specifically to “set up, designate or maintain at the
domestic level one or several visiting bodies for the prevention of torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (hereinafter referred to as the national
preventive mechanism).” The DHRC SMS has been supporting the establishment of such a
local detention monitoring mechanism since 2009. On 10 May 2011, the SMS advocacy
efforts had resulted in the signing of a co-operation agreement on detention monitoring
between the Kosovo Ombudsperson Institution and two local non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (KRCT) and the
Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF). Subsequently, in 2012,
the DHRC SMS organized two capacity building training events for the detention monitoring
task force: In April it organized a three-day training on fundraising and project cycle
management for 15 participants; and in August a two-day training on lobbying and advocacy
for 16 participants.
Security and Safety Education
In support of setting up and strengthening the legislative framework of the public safety
institutions, the DSPS continued to monitor and report its results for further development of
the Kosovo Academy for Public Safety (KAPS) and its subordinators, such as the KP, PIK,
Customs, Fire Fighters, Correctional and Probation Services.
During 2012, the Department participated in many working groups for drafting several sublegal acts, such as the regulations on: the Academy Board; the Institutional Organizational
Structure; Training and Curriculum Development; the KAPS Provision of Trainings and
Services for Private Physical and Legal Persons; the Academy’s Code of Ethics; and the
Regulation for Training Planning and Co-ordination of Donations for Trainings. Apart from the
last four regulations which had been already approved, the other regulations were with the
Prime Minister’s Office at the end of 2012 awaiting the final approval before coming into
force.
The DSPS gave particular attention to the regulation on the Academy Board, as the Board
was expected to set up and define minimum professional standards and policies related to
higher education for all public safety and security providers.
Furthermore, the DSPS was actively involved in defining the specific norm structure for the
functionality of KAPS in the public safety and security domain. This support resulted in the
new completed draft regulation on the KAPS Organizational Structure 15, which was crucial
for KAPS as an institution for providing higher education, and more concretely, as a Faculty
of Security Sciences including a regional scientific research institute. In addition, great
consideration was given to this regulation because of the necessity to accommodate the
mutual interest of three different ministries and five different public safety agencies: the MoIA
15
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As of December 2012, the regulations on the Academy Board and the Institutional Organizational Structure awaited the
approval by the Prime Minister’s Office.
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