POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS SOUTH CAUCASUS Gender-based and Domestic Violence On 22 March, the Office, together with the “Social Justice” NGO, organized a roundtable discussion in Gegharkunik province for 40 representatives of the province’s police, municipal authorities and civil society in order to present activities to be carried out collaboratively during the year to help prevent domestic violence. From 17 to 20 May, two training courses took place in Tsaghkadzor dedicated to combating domestic violence through a partnership between state and non-state stakeholders. The trainings were part of the Office’s project to strengthen police capacities in preventing domestic violence. Participants included representatives from the juvenile police and community services, district social and child protection services, guardianship and trusteeship councils and NGOs from Yerevan and the Gegharkunik region. Among the topics presented were definitions of domestic violence, its phases and prevailing myths, victimization, victim interviewing, as well as challenges and perspectives of multi-agency partnership. On 23 June, the Office organized a meeting in the Martuni municipality, Gegharkunik region, to examine cases of domestic violence registered in that district. The deputy mayor, social workers and community police officers agreed on the scope and timing of further work. On 7 July, in order to strengthen referral networks within the Gegharkunik region, the Office facilitated a meeting of Gavar Police Division officers with civil society organizations who provide assistance to domestic violence victims. On 20 July, in the aftermath of a brutal murder in a family affected by domestic violence, the Deputy Head of Office joined representatives from the Ministry of Justice, defence lawyers and international organizations in a public discussion, convened by a coalition of women’s rights organizations, to develop options for collective action to improve the legal framework, provide support to victims and raise public awareness about domestic violence. On 12 September, the Office convened a meeting with civil society representatives addressing issues of gender, women’s rights and domestic violence. The purpose of the meeting was to examine police approaches to gender equality and their capacity to respond to domestic violence. The participants had an open and extensive discussion about the current situation, challenges and perspectives, and emphasized the urgent need to mobilize all available resources to address the pressing problems of domestic violence and women’s roles in society. Throughout 2016, a series of meetings took place within the framework of the Office’s Project for Strengthening Police Units on Domestic Violence. Meetings held in the Arabkir, Central and Erebuni Districts of the Yerevan Police Department, and the Martuni Police District of the Gegharkunik Police Department, raised the awareness of Juvenile Inspectors and community police officers on organizations operating in their respective areas who can provide various forms of assistance to domestic violence victims. Meetings at Gavar Police Division focused on one particular case of domestic violence. Throughout October and November, the Office opened information corners inside police stations in a number of police districts: the Achapnyak, Arabkir and Kentron districts of Yerevan, Gavar, Martuni, Vardenis, and Sevan (Gegharkunik region) and two in Vanadzor (Lori region). The information corners provide materials about organizations dealing with domestic and gender-based violence, including ways that victims can seek help and find organizations providing targeted assistance. Public Order and Crisis Management From 7 to 11 November, the Office supported a high-level Armenian delegation to study the POM of the police in France, with a particular focus on police relations with mass media during public assemblies. The study trip, organized jointly by the Armenian police and the French Ministry of Interior, enabled the delegation to visit relevant departments in both the French police and Gendarmerie. On 21 and 22 November, the Office, in association with DCAF, organized two workshops dedicated to the negotiation and communication skills of police officers during mass events and the protection of public order during crisis situations and high-risk events. Around 45 people, including managers from the Police Patrol Service, territorial districts and central apparatus, who are primarily responsible for POM in Yerevan and the other provinces, participated in the meeting. Participants were introduced to the key principles of negotiation and communication in various operational settings, risk identification and record-keeping of decisions taken on cases using decision logs. 105