RAMALLAH, January 13, 2011 (WAFA) - The Palestinian Civil Police (PCP) senior management held today its first formal meeting with their EUPOL COPPS counterparts at the PCP’s Protection and Guarding Units (PGUs) compound in Al-Tireh, Ramallah.

After the opening remarks by the Chief of Police, Maj. Gen. Hazem Attallah, and by EUPOL COPPS head of mission Commissioner Henrik Malmquist, the mission’s deputy head, Jesper Friedrichsen, made a general presentation on EUPOL COPP’s mandate, figures, achievements and objectives for 2011.

Friedrichsen emphasized the importance of the respect for human rights and the enforcement of gender policies in every police organization.

Heads of EUPOL COPPS’ Police Advisory section, Rule of Law section and Program section made specific presentations on their own activities, as well as on the different funding mechanisms that the European Union and its member states can offer to the PCP.

Chief of Police Attallah summarized the ongoing cooperation and increasing partnership between the PCP and EUPOL COPPS, emphasizing the PCP’s will to reach international standards.

He acknowledged “the need for the PCP to be accepted and supported by the people in order to be able to work efficiently,” stating that popular support is a basic tool for a police organization to succeed.

The chief of police also welcomed the cooperation with all Palestinian justice institutions that are partners to EUPOL COPPS’ Rule of Law section: Ministry of Justice, Prosecution, High Judicial Council, Palestinian Bar Association of Lawyers, and the new Department of Correction and Rehabilitation Centres (DCRC, which belongs to the PCP).

Notwithstanding the shortcomings in fields such as infrastructure and equipment, but also taking into account the progress made in others such as transportation and communications, the PCP’s and EUPOL COPPS’ senior management teams committed to work even closer together during the new year in order to achieve even better results.