Japan builds, equips 30 community police stations in Kurdistan Region

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The Japanese government has finished building and equipping 30 community police stations across the Kurdistan Region and handing them over to the Kurdish government’s Interior Ministry as part of Tokyo’s civilian projects in the country.

The Japanese project was carried out through United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and named “Improving the Impact, Effectiveness, and Gender Sensitivity of the Police Directorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,”

According to a United Nation’s press release, “Human rights trainings were also provided to 55 police officers in the KRG Police Directorate with a focus on the interaction between the community and law enforcement personnel through policing strategies and practices based on human rights standards, and gender sensitivity and awareness.”

Mohsen Othman, in charge of home affairs at the Interior Ministry said that Japan and the UN had supported local police force before and their most recent project improved the work of the police.

“I thank the Government of Japan and UNOPS for their great support during the crisis that we are going through,” Othman was quoted as saying. “Because of the support by the organizations, the people of Kurdistan feel more secured when they see police officers who were supported by those organizations.”

Head of Support Services of UNOPS, Ala’a Nemer, said that his organization implemented the project recognizing the importance of professional police work in contributing to stability.

Nemer said: ”We recognize that community policing is an essential function that supports security and stability of communities. UNOPS is happy to have been able to provide support to the Kurdistan Regional Government in enhancing their capacities to carry out this important and valuable task.”

Katsumi Moriyasu, Head of the Consular Office of Japan in Erbil said for his part that the Japanese government would stand by the governments of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in their efforts to overcome their crisis.

“It is our pleasure that Japan contributes to the enhancement of capacity of the community police officers,” he said. ”Japan will continue to stand by Iraq as long as the people of Iraq including the Kurdistan region exert the utmost self-help efforts to overcome the crisis and achieve peace and stability for their country.”