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Projects

Training on the implementation of children’s rights by security forces and justice personnel in Senegal

Formation de formateurs – Dakar 2016

Thorough training always guarantees effective action on the ground.Moustapha Diouf, Police Commissioner, Director of Studies and Continuing Education, National Police Academy, Senegal

Project duration : 2012 to today

Senegal demonstrated its profound commitment to child protection by being one of the first countries to take part in the regional workshops organised by the IBCR in Cotonou, Niamey, Lomé, and Abidjan. In fact, it was in Cotonou in 2010 that the Senegalese delegation began drafting an action plan aimed at strengthening the child rights protection capacities of security forcesAyant reçu l’aval des écoles de police et de gendarmerie du pays, le projet a pu être mis en œuvre dès 2012 par l’IBCR grâce au soutien de l’UNICEF et de l’organisation Save the Children.

Having received the backing of the country’s police and gendarmerie schools, the IBCR was able to implement the project in 2012 thanks to the support of UNICEF and the organisation Save the Children.

Our goals :

As part of this project, the IBCR was in a position to support the Senegalese government initiative aimed at improving children’s access to justice in Senegal by helping professionals in the security forces develop practices that respect children’s rights and take into account their best interests and their evolving capacities. More specifically, the aim was to integrate permanent child rights and protection training into the programmes of the different educational institutions of the police and gendarmerie.

After first securing the commitment of various partners, the IBCR proceeded to draft a situational analysis of the role of police officers and gendarmes in the child protection system. For the purposes of this analysis, some 70 documents were consulted and interviews were held with resource persons and about 20 children to obtain their perspective on the issue.

Following this preliminary work, an educational toolkit intended for the initial training of new police and gendarmerie recruits was produced and validated. Forty officers and non-commissioned officers were then trained in the use of this toolkit and in teaching techniques for adults to enable schools to appropriate this teaching programme and maintain their autonomy in implementing the training – while still receiving the technical support of the IBCR when needed.

During the development of this initial training, the IBCR also began work on targeted training for specialised units of the police and gendarmerie that handle cases involving children. The educational tools were completed and validated in 2015, and since February 2016, 25 gendarmes and police officers (including seven women) have received training from the IBCR team so they can in turn become qualified trainers at training institutions in Senegal.

The advocacy work has continued ever since to ensure that the specialised police and gendarmerie services become more accessible throughout the country.

  • Intervention locations : Senegal
  • Project duration: 2012 to today
  • Partners :
    • The Senegalese government, through the Ministries of Defence, Security and Justice
    • The General Directorate of the National Police
    • The High Command of the Gendarmerie, police and gendarmerie training academies
    • National civil society organisations
    • UNICEF
    • Save the Children
  • Highlights:
    • 40 functional trainers within the police force and the gendarmerie
    • 25 people, including 7 women, were trained to use the specialised training toolkit
  • Fields of activity and expertise :
    • Children in emergency situations
    • Children and the justice system

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