4.10 Programme Office in Bishkek The Police Activities Unit of the Politico-Military Dimension (previously Police Matters Programme and the Police Reform Programme) is committed to comprehensive reform at all levels of Kyrgyzstan’s law enforcement bodies. However, it is primarily focused on the MoI. Activities Related to General Police Development and Reform Police Development and Reform within Security Sector Reform In 2018, the POiB supported the organization of two joint regional sessions of the MoI Public Council with the active participation of representatives of the Forum of Women Members of the Parliament. These two sessions, held in the Osh and Issyk-Kul provinces, served as open platforms for public discussions of four draft laws regulating the activities of law enforcement agencies. Later in the year, these laws were approved by all government structures, including the relevant Parliamentary Committees. They now require the clearance from the Ministry of Finance of the financial resources required for their implementation. With support by the POiB, the MoI conducted 27 training sessions on the practical use of new legal codes. The POiB printed 750 packages of the new legal codes, which were distributed among all MoI departments and territorial police stations. The main changes in these new legal codes are aimed at humanizing the criminal justice system and upholding the democratic principles in the work of law enforcement agencies. Gender and Ethnic Mainstreaming On 30 March, the POiB provided assistance to the Kyrgyz Association of Women in the Security Sector (KAWSS) in hosting a regional conference on “The role of women from the security sector in the sustainable development of regions”. The conference, which was attended by representatives from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, brought together some 100 participants, including high-level politicians, representatives of Kyrgyzstan’s Presidential Administration, members of parliament and of government, as well as representatives of all law enforcement agencies, Public Councils, local selfgovernment authorities, civil society and the media. In May, a working visit of the KAWSS representatives to the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan was organized. As part of 120 this visit, several high-level working meetings were organized with the management and regional representatives of the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Education and the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan. In addition, a MoU on future co-operation was signed between the KAWSS and the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan. From 15 to 20 October, a summer school was organized in Issyk-Kul. Fifteen representatives of the KAWSS, local government authorities and law enforcement agencies were given an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills on gender mainstreaming and equality in the SSR process. Community Policing, Police-Public Relations and Crime Prevention The POiB supported the MoI with furthering the parliamentary and civilian oversight of the law enforcement agencies reform process. These initiatives were highly welcomed by the relevant government and local civil society institutions. Their representatives actively participated in two joint regional sessions of the MoI Public Council in Osh and Issyk-Kul provinces. On the basis of the discussions and recommendations provided during these sessions, the MoI Public Council has requested the MoI to make changes in the modus operandi of the Mobile Police Receptions (MPR) initiative. The regional sessions have allowed for the MoI and relevant government institutions and local communities to realize the importance and effectiveness of the MoI Public Council’s activities and to enhance their co-operation with it. Today, the MoI Public Council is the most recognized and respected public institution in the country, whose opinion is taken into account in the decision-making process. During 2018, the MPR activities were expanded to four additional territorial police stations in the Talas and Naryn provinces. By maintaining the MPR GPS monitoring system, the POiB also supported the MoI MPR Co-ordination Centre. The MPRs’ work is highly welcomed and supported by the local communities, and in the second half of 2018, a local public council was established in every municipality to support the work of the MPRs. This council includes the representatives of civil society, local government authorities and local crime prevention centres (LCPSs). Currently, 24 MPR vehicles are operating in 21 territorial police departments, providing assistance to 1,042 rural communities, home to a population