Iraq - The Federal Republic of Germany has donated EUR 4 million to IOM Iraq to support its “Strengthening Community Policing in Iraq” project between March 2016 and December 2017.

By supporting community policing in Iraq, IOM enhances overall efforts to advance democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Iraq in liberated areas. Community-policing models promote mediation and negotiation to resolve conflicts and build trust between the community and the police.

The Community Police Project includes training on community policing principles, establishing Community Police Forums, and encouraging dialogue between civil society and law enforcement agencies.

In 2015, a total of 16 Community Policing Forums were established across six governorates in southern, central and northern Iraq, engaging over 500 community members, 80 police officers, more than 80 government officials and 70 civil society members.

The project will reinforce these efforts by strengthening the capacity of the Community Police in Iraq and increasing the capacity of communities and civil society to engage in constructive dialogue on security issues.

The project will enhance the existing community police infrastructure and provide needed equipment to improve police access to communities in liberated areas, but also in central and southern Iraq.

The training component will target law enforcement personnel, as well as representatives of internally displaced Iraqi communities, to facilitate the work of the community police, particularly in areas of return.

The training sessions will provide an opportunity for police, community members and civil society actors to jointly identify existing challenges and possible solutions, thus encouraging communication and collaboration between the police and communities. These forums also facilitate creating a space for the meaningful participation and representation of women.

The project will be implemented in the governorates of Anbar, Babylon, Baghdad, Basra, Diyala, Dohuk, Erbil, Kirkuk, Ninewa, Salah al-Din and Sulaymaniyah. 

IOM’s main partners for the project will be the Ministry of Interior, specifically the Community Police Directorates of the Central Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government.

IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Thomas Lothar Weiss said: “We are pleased to contribute to the stabilization of liberated areas and a few other selected governorates through the Community Policing Project, funded by the Federal Republic of Germany. Initiatives like these, which develop and implement a community-based security approach, are crucial in the aftermath of a devastating and violent conflict like Iraq’s. The project will also help us better address the needs of displaced Iraqis who return to their homes, particularly in terms of feeling safe and protected, in coordination with the Central Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government.”

For further information, please contact IOM Iraq. Sandra Black, Tel. +964 751 234 2550, Email: sblack@iom.int, or Placido Silipigni, Email: psilipigni@iom.int