Kurdistan Region Ministry of Interior partners with UNDP to reform police services

The Ministry of Interior of the Kurdistan Region is working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to modernize police institutions and improve public trust in Iraq.

The Ministry and the UNDP are developing a coordinated approach to turn reform priorities into practical results. Rebar Ahmed Khalid, the Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Region, stated that the goal is to create a professional police service that is accountable and effective.

A key part of this plan involves creating a Programme Office to coordinate projects, track results, and identify risks to help officials make decisions based on evidence. The reform focuses on two main priorities: creating Model Police Stations and reforming the Police Academy and College. The Model Police Stations aim to improve how citizens interact with law enforcement by making professional service and public engagement the focus of daily policing.

Meanwhile, the reforms to the Police Academy and College seek to provide future officers with the professional standards and skills needed for modern policing. To ensure the changes last, the Ministry and the UNDP are clarifying the roles of various teams, including the Leadership and Management Academy and specific project managers. The project uses structured planning with defined baselines and indicators to measure progress.

Titon Mitra, the UNDP Resident Representative in Iraq, noted that the Ministry of Interior owns the reform process to ensure it delivers meaningful improvements for the people the police serve.