Iraq’s Ministry of Interior upgrades its Criminal Investigation Capacity through UNDP and the Government of Germany’s support

The interview room was inaugurated today by key actors from the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the German Government, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“This interview room is an indispensable tool for police officer training, allowing them a venue to practice their investigation skills, build their capacities, and ensure human rights standards and norms are upheld in conducting effective interviews in a simulated environment”, said Auke Lootsma, UNDP Resident Representative in Iraq.

Boosting crime response through better interviewing techniques

The interview training support, including the training room, is a product of almost 2 years of work to support human rights compliance in policing work in Iraq, through improving the officers’ investigative skills.

“All our German engagement in Iraq is geared towards helping to make this country more stable and prosperous. In order for Iraq to advance even further towards this end, it will – amongst many other things – be important to enable the Iraqi police to apply modern interviewing techniques in line with international human rights standards. We are proud to partner with the Ministry of Interior and UNDP in this.” said Dr. Maximilian Rasch, the Chargé d’Affaires at the German Embassy in Baghdad.

Almost 150 police officers have benefitted from this type of targeted capacity building. More importantly, these officers, including female police officers, underwent specialized interview training, where they learned critical techniques for collecting evidence as they investigated complex and sensitive cases, such as domestic violence and homicide. To ensure sustainability, a number of the trained officers have been selected to train their colleagues going forward.

Iraq’s commitment to international standards of policing

The initiative not only enhances the quality of investigations, it also improves Iraqi law enforcement’s compliance to international standards and norms, moving from confession-based investigations to comprehensive evidence gathering. Having this training tool facilitates simulation and feedback to trainees, enriching those undergoing criminal investigation programs.

Located at the MOI's Criminal Investigation Training Centre, this state-of-the-art facility supports the MOI in implementing people-centered policing, complementing UNDP’s ongoing work in establishing model police stations in the most crucial areas across the country. UNDP’s transformative work in security sector reform and rule of law has supported Iraq’s government institutions in cultivating an atmosphere that encourages stability and security – both of which are precursors to transformative development, actively contributing to SDG 16 – peace, justice and strong institutions.