3.3.1 Working with Security Forces and Law Enforcement Officials

Although issues will vary from country to country, protecting human rights in many countries depends on how law enforcement and security bodies do their work. Areas of protection that are relevant for NHRIs working with law enforcement and security include the following that are drawn from the:

Nairobi Declaration on the Administration of Justice, adopted at the Ninth International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions (Nairobi, Kenya, 21-24 October 2008).

Further information on the rule of law, administration of justice and core protection issues, can be found in Chapter 4.

Training should be undertaken for all law enforcement officers – police, army, prison officials – as well as those involved in the judicial process. Such training should be cooperative and continuous and geared towards the organisations themselves developing permanent training curricula. One approach would be to start with one organisation – for example, the police – and using lessons learned from that to adapt and proceed to other organisations involved in law enforcement. NHRIs can further their work in these areas by undertaking public awareness-raising on complaints procedures against the police.