Ongoing projects between the UN and the Fiji Police have been successful - Samarasinha

UN Resident Coordinator, Sanaka Samarasinha, thanked Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew for the continued partnership with the Fiji Police Force, adding that ongoing projects between the UN and the Police have been successful.

Members of the UN Country Team in Fiji hosted Fiji’s Acting Commissioner of Police and his team, to share updates on the work of the UN in Fiji, and opportunities for greater collaboration moving forward.

Samarasinha says their ongoing work with the Police ranges from human rights training, to the installment of cameras in interview rooms, and capacity building of police officers.

He also says they share a long partnership with the Fiji Police and they look forward to building on this through ongoing work as well as new projects.

The UNCT Fiji is made up of the Heads and Deputy Heads of all UN agencies that work in Fiji and yesterdays discussion was a good opportunity to present to Acting Commissioner the breadth of ongoing UN work in the country.

Samarasinha says through UNDP, video recording equipment is being installed in police stations around the country and officers are being trained on how to use the equipment.

He also says UNDP is supporting the capacity of police officers to be responsive to the needs of survivors of gender-based violence and are in the process of renovating specific rooms to make them suitable for providing services to survivors.

The Resident Coordinator adds through UNICEF, UN Women and UNDP, support is also being provided to the Sexual Offences Unit, specifically to increase capacity of police officers to deal with victims and survivors.

He also adds through the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Police officers around the country are being provided with human rights training, including the recent roll-out of training on small islands outside of Vanua Levu.

Samarasinha closed by sharing that the UN will be looking to work with the Police during high level visits of key UN officials from UN Headquarters, which are expected to take place in the first quarter of this year.