01 July 2014 - The Pubic Order Police Anti-Disturbance Unit (POP, Portuguese acronym) today received at UNIOGBIS HQ, Bissau, a donation of 50 sets of police anti-riot gear - shields, helmets and batons.

UNIOGBIS has been represented by Chief Mission Support (CMS), Jorge Gonçalves. Also took part the secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Idelfrides Manuel Gomes Fernandes, POP National Commissioner, brigadier-general Armando Nhaga, and diplomatic corps among other personalities, police forces and UN staff.
UNIOGBIS CMS, Jorge Gonçalves, stated:

We gather here today in a simple but meaningful ceremony: to celebrate the collaboration between the security forces, the national authorities, UNIOGBIS and the Peace Building Fund (PBF).

I would therefore like to begin by highlighting the excellent relations of friendship established between UNPOL and POP members.

I must also mention the success of the electoral security and the encouraging effect it had on United Nations personnel who have worked with you.

Collaboration between UNIOGBIS, in particular our section for the Rule of Law and Security Institutions (ROLSI) and POP has been focused in the training area - with particular focus on human rights protection.

Ensuring the protection of citizen's rights by police forces can only be achieved through training. And this is true in particular for the most shapely of a country's elite forces by nature.
But the effectiveness of training depends on its existence and CONTINOUS MEANS to meet those needs.

The training of the 60 officers of the Anti-Disturbance Unit scheduled for the first half of July - is the culmination of a series of trainings - in the area of electoral security - which were given by ROLSI, with PBF's support, on a value of $ 240,000.

These trainings, where planned under the project "Strengthening the electoral security in the country, covering all regions", and covered 1300 Law Enforcement Agencies officers, both police and military.

The donation of 50 sets of riot gear - shields, helmets and batons - symbolizes the last phase of training under this project, through which the UNIOGBIS donated 100 bicycles and 25 motorcycles to the national security forces to facilitate transport and thus increase its ability to meet the needs of their communities.

There were also printed and distributed to police across the country, 2000 pocketbooks of the Code of Conduct for police and military during the electoral process.

The collaboration between the security forces, the national authorities, the UNIOGBIS and PBF was a success, and we all hope that - with the return to constitutional order - that collaboration can be strengthened.

To the members of the Police Public Order here present, in particular the members of the Anti-Disturbance Unit. I wish you success in your mission. I know that you will be worthy ambassadors of UN principles.

This ceremony was held at the final phase of the comprehensive electoral security training implemented by Rule of Law and Security Institutions Section through coordination with Peacebuilding Fund for about US$240,000.

A two day basic training on use of this equipment will take place during the first 2 weeks of July at the CENFA training center for 60 officers of the unit. The unit has currently has 60 officers, with 8 females in all battalions within the Public Order Police Rapid Intervention Units. They are centralized within Bissau and respond according to the laws of Guinea-Bissau for crowd control/security for high level events or in response to riot situations.

This donation and training will complete the "Strengthening electoral security in the country, covering all regions" project implemented by the UN Police Unit with PBF funding which has included multiple phases of training for approximately 1,300 police and military personnel in regards to the constitutional laws and rights of the citizens of Guinea-Bissau to have free, fair and transparent electoral processes as foreseen according to the UN Mission Mandate and the Compact and Vision of the SRSG for the return to constitutional order.

Previously, as part of this project, UNIOGBIS donated 100 bicycles and 25 motorcycles, which were given to the national law enforcement agencies to improve their ability to meet the needs of their communities through additional forms of transportation. Additionally, 2,000 pocket guide books detailing the Code of Conduct for police and military during the electoral processes were printed and distributed to local law enforcement officers throughout the country.

The partnerships between national law enforcement institutions, the national authorities, UNIOGBIS and the Peace Building Fund has been successful and the mission looks forward to continued coordination in further development of sustainable safety and security for all of Guinea-Bissau.