Questions 1. Why should law enforcement officials concern themselves with international standards? 2. To what extent does your domestic law incorporate international standards? Are there areas in which domestic law is stronger in its protection of human rights than the international standards? Are there areas in which it is less strong? 3. Can police violations of human rights make the work of law enforcement more difficult? How? 4. Why is the national police role so important for the protection of human rights? Exercise Case study: The Exland scenario An evolving hypothetical situation Exland is situated on the northeastern corner of the continent of Atlantis. A poor country which gained independence only in 1973, Exland has been torn by ethnic conflict ever since and a state of emergency has been continuously in effect. Roughly divided between two national ethnic groups, the Highlandians and the Vallians, the country has failed to reach a lasting political compromise during more than two decades of conflict. To make matters worse, political and historical alliances between the Highlandians and neighbouring Hillia, on the one hand, and between the Vallians and neighbouring Vallagia, on the other, have resulted in a continuous flow of arms into the country, occasional cross-border military and paramilitary activities, and threats by both neighbouring countries to become fully involved in the conflict. At the same time, there is a general breakdown of law and order, and the local police have neither the training nor the material resources to address the problem effectively. After a series of massacres, and retaliatory atrocities in early 1996, the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations fielded a high-level mission to the country in an effort to assess the situation and to encourage a political settlement. The mission secured the agreement of the parties to the conflict and of the Governments of the neighbouring countries to hold formal talks in Geneva during the following month. The conference resulted in the signing by the parties of a Comprehensive Agreement on the Settlement of the Exland Conflict, with individual provisions for human rights, disarmament, elections and reconstruction of the country’s physical, political and legal infrastructure. As part of the agreement, Exland also ratified all major human rights and humanitarian law treaties. The Security Council, acting on the terms of the Agreement, authorized the establishment and deployment of UNSAME (United Nations Settlement Assistance Mission for Exland). UNSAME will be composed of a military component, a civilian police component, a civil affairs component, a human rights component, an electoral component and a disarmament component. You are the commander of a United Nations Civilian Police (CIVPOL) unit assigned to UNSAME. As an experienced police official in your own country, you will be called upon to monitor the local police, to advise them and to train them in international human rights standards in law enforcement. 23