4.12 The OSCE Centre in Bishkek Background The OSCE Centre in Bishkek (CiB) was established in 1998 to promote the implementation of OSCE commitments, facilitate the exchange of information, establish and maintain contacts with local authorities, universities, research institutions and NGOs, and encourage Kyrgyzstan's further integration into the OSCE community. Implementation of the Police Assistance Programme started in 2003. The Interim Police Assistance Programme, established in 2005, aimed at preparing the ground for continued progress towards deep structural reform of Kyrgyzstan’s police system and at strengthening the institutional and implementation capacities of certain police units. Since 2007, the Police Reform Programme (PRP) has become an integrated part of the Unified Budget of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. Therefore, funding from the Unified Budget increased the longer-term effectiveness of the Programme and allowed to plan, implement and monitor the Programme in a more efficient way. The PRP, which, in 2010, constituted the CiB’s largest component, has been a crucial factor for Kyrgyzstan’s public security, especially in light of the events of April/June 2010, as well as in the reform process of the entire criminal justice sector. The circumstances of the April and June events in 2010 and their dire consequences led to significant challenges to the implementation of the PRP. During a certain period of time police officers (trainees) were not able to participate in the project activities due to their engagement in the restoration of public order in the south of Kyrgyzstan. Due to a number of reasons, some envisaged activities were not implemented comprehensively and some others were cancelled completely or deferred to a later date within the reporting time. Some projects were also modified in view of the developments. However, the modifications did not lead to significant deviations in the programme with respect to methodological and philosophical aspects and the ultimate objectives of the PRP. The 2010 events and the project implementation process also highlighted a number of problems (often protracted) that sometimes went beyond the structure of law enforcement agencies. They included authoritarianism and lack of political will for deeper reform at the high level of state authority, demoralization of the police after the events, high turnover and rotation rates in the police, and insufficient skills of police officers in developing conflictsensitive strategies. In view of the above circumstances, the PRP channelled its work in 2011 in two main directions: 1) fostering trust and confidence between the police and the population through incorporating community-based policing principles into the police-public relationship; and 2) developing a professional police service through continuous education and training combined with advisory and technical support in a number of selected areas. The CiB firmly supported the country’s aim to build a relationship of mutual trust, confidence and partnership between the law enforcement authorities and wider society. The PRP continued to assist the Host Country in developing a professional, transparent, accountable and citizen-oriented service, specifically through structural changes, tackling crime and fostering community relations. With training support from the CiB, civil and human rights elements have been integrated into police training, the operational capacity of local investigators and operational search officers have increased, and training conditions at the Police Academy and Special Police School have been developing towards international standards. 100