UNSOM Police

Introduction:

The UNSOM Police Section is a component of the Rule of Law and Security Institutions Group (ROLSIG) within the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). Our core mandate is to support the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member States (FMS) in strengthening the rule of law and establishing a capable, accountable, and rights-based federal police service. We achieve this by providing strategic policy advice, facilitating collaborative efforts, and fostering institutional development within Somali police forces.

Structure:

UNSOM Police is a team of experienced police advisers deployed throughout Somalia. We collaborate closely with Somali police counterparts in strategic level, from federal to state. Our team comprises a Police Commissioner, a Senior UN Police Adviser, a Senior Police Coordinator, a Police Planning Officer, and fifteen Individual Police Officers (IPOs). These IPOs come from a diverse range of UN member states, reflecting our commitment to international collaboration in supporting Somali police reform. Currently, twelve seconded police officers from nine member states (including Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Ghana, Kenya, Nepal, Sweden, Thailand, and Zimbabwe) are deployed with UNSOM Police.

Our focus areas:

1) Supporting the Federated Policing System: UNSOM Police plays a pivotal role in supporting the implementation of the New Policing Model agreement from 2016, that was recently revisited in the 2023 National Security Architecture (NSArch), which stablishes a federated police model for Somalia, with police institutions at the Federal and State Level. This system creates a framework for a unified and effective police service across all levels of Somali governance. Our contributions focus on:

Collaboration and Coordination: We work closely with the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and Federal Member States (FMS) to ensure consistent progress in developing police capabilities. This collaborative approach involves providing technical support, building institutional capacity, and facilitating dialogue between stakeholders at all levels.
Empowering Technical Committees: UNSOM Police advisers support discussions within Technical Committees established in each FMS. These committees, comprised of representatives from the relevant ministry, State Police Command, and other stakeholders, identify local priorities, needs, and strategies to ensure enhanced police service delivery within their specific contexts.
Fostering Institutional Development: UNSOM Police advisers collaborate with Ministries of Internal Security and Police Commissioners to strengthen police institutions at the federal and state levels. This includes supporting the development of essential policies, strategies, frameworks, and guidelines that guide effective policing practices aligned with international standards.

2) Supporting Legal Framework Development: UNSOM Police plays a key role in supporting the development of a robust legal framework for effective policing in Somalia. We provide technical advice and support to Somali counterparts throughout the legal drafting process. This includes:

Progressing Police Acts: We collaborate with the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and Federal Member States (FMS) to review and update Police Acts, ensuring they align with international standards and best practices.
Coordinating Security Sector Legislation: UNSOM Police works closely with other UN Somalia offices to provide harmonized inputs for other pieces of legislation within the broader security sector.

3) Building Police Capacity: UNSOM Police works collaboratively with Somali counterparts to enhance the skills and knowledge of police officers across Somalia. We achieve this through:

Supporting Policy Development: Through the Police Professional Development Board (PPDB), we assist the Somali Police Force in identifying, designing, and drafting key policies related to training and capacity building. This collaborative approach ensures training programs align with national priorities and international best practices. A recent success story is the endorsement of the Somali Training Strategy and implementation plan through the PPDB in February 2024.
Providing Technical Assistance: UNSOM Police advisors offer technical expertise and resources to support training initiatives delivered by Somali police institutions.

4) Promoting Human Rights and Gender Mainstreaming: UNSOM Police is committed to supporting the Somali Police in federal and state level in upholding human rights and promoting gender equality. Our efforts focus on:

Promoting Human Rights Practices: We work with Somali police to develop and implement human rights-based policing strategies. This includes conducting workshops on human rights principles and best practices in preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
Encouraging Women in Policing: We advocate for increased numbers of women in the police force, recognizing their vital role in creating a more inclusive and effective police service. We support initiatives that encourage women to join the police and create a more welcoming environment for female officers.

International and Donor Coordination

UNSOM Police is committed to fostering a collaborative environment for Somali police reform by working closely with a diverse range of international and donor partners. These partnerships are crucial for leveraging expertise, resources, and best practices to support the development of a capable and effective Somali police service.

Key partnerships:

Joint Police Programme Phase II (JPP II): Funded by international sponsors (the European Union UK, Germany) and implemented by UNDP, the Joint Police Programme Phase II (JPP II) is a critical initiative supporting Somali police development. Building on the successes of JPP I in establishing basic infrastructure, police recruitment, and providing non-lethal equipment, JPP II now focuses on strengthening police institutions at all levels through policy and capacity-building initiatives. Additionally, JPP II prioritizes promoting gender equality within the police force and fostering collaborative community policing practices. UNSOM Police actively supports JPP II implementation by providing coordination and technical advice to Somali counterparts, including Ministries of Internal Security and technical committees at various levels.
Police Coordination: UNSOM Police actively collaborates with other key partners to enhance overall coordination and effectiveness in supporting Somali police reform. These partners include the EU Capacity Building Mission in Somalia (EUCAP Somalia), the African Union Mission, ATMIS, and UN agencies like UNDP, UNOPS, and OCHA. Through collaboration, we ensure a unified and comprehensive approach to security sector reform in Somalia.

Newsletters and Publications:

UNSOM Police publishes regular newsletters and periodic reports highlighting our activities and achievements in supporting Somali police reform. You can check out previous editions below:

New Policing Model Newsletters (2017-2020)

Careers

Are you a passionate and experienced police officer interested in contributing to police reform in Somalia? The UN Police regularly advertises vacancies for police advisor positions. Serving police officers can find more information and current vacancies on the UN Police website:

https://police.un.org/en/vacancies

Contact Us

We welcome your inquiries and engagement. Please feel free to contact us using the information below:

Ralf Schroeder
UNSOM Police Commissioner
Email: unsom-police@un.org

Local Time

UNSOM

UNSOM Police

Twitter

Search

UNSOM Police

Twitter