Baghdad, Iraq – Germany and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a EUR 826,250 donor agreement on strengthening Iraq’s criminal justice services and improving their capacities to conduct effective interviews in line with international human rights commitments.

The project promotes the application of the new regulations on unified Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Criminal Investigations, and the Local Police Service Road Map. Seeking to enhance criminal justice services in Iraq, the project offers capacity building for criminal investigation police officers, investigative judges, and relevant directorates, and extends the implementation of the Model Police Station Pilot Initiative from Baghdad and Basra to all over Iraq.

“We are grateful to our longstanding partner, the Government of Germany. We, together, put public safety and security at the heart of Iraq’s transition to long-term stability and development. This project enables the Iraqi police to continuously strengthen its investigative capacities and human rights compliance in criminal proceedings", says Auke Lootsma, UNDP Iraq Resident Representative,

“Strengthening law enforcement and criminal justice capacities must go hand in hand with human rights protection in order contribute to, and build public trust in, a sovereign, stable, and democratic Iraqi State. This is why Germany continues to support these efforts, implemented by UNDP, enabling Iraqi Police investigators to conduct interrogations more effectively and without recourse to coercive methods.” says Chargé d’Affaires a. i. Philip Holzapfel.

UNDP Iraq’s Security Sector Reform (SSR) Programme provides advice and technical assistance to the Government of Iraq's security sector through partnerships with the Office of the National Security Advisor, the Ministry of Interior’s Police Affairs Agency and local police, the Supreme Judicial Council, and Iraqi civil society organizations. This contribution brings Germany’s total support for the SSR Programme to EUR 1,836,250.

Media contact:

Mohammed Al-Bahbahanee, Communications Specialist | mohammed.al-bahbahanee@undp.org  +964 7704 399 222