UNDP, EU also hold workshop on strengthening Swat, Malakand Dispute Resolution Councils

Spokesman Report

ABBOTTABAD/SWAT:In efforts to strengthen coordination amongst practitioners of criminal justice sector, UNDP I with support from the European Union (EU) organized a two-day consultative workshop in Abbottabad.

The workshop provided a platform to practitioners of Reclamation and Probation Directorate (RPD), Home Department, Police, Prosecution, Prisons and Judiciary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to exchange ideas, information, and experiences to improve coordination between units and increase efficiency. The second day of the consultative workshop focused on putting forward a set of recommendations to establish and strengthen the cooperation and linkages at the provincial level.

The consultative workshop highlighted how improving coordination mechanisms between these actors and the Reclamation and Probation Department, and probation officers will play a significant role in improving the functioning of the KP Probation Services. These recommendations will be submitted to the Home Department through the Reclamation and Probation Directorate.

In his remarks, Chief Guest Special Secretary Home Department Mr. Akbar Ali Khan stressed the coordination gap between Reclamation & Probation and the other stakeholders in the KP criminal justice sector. “This is of particular concern as the probationary service touches upon all facets of the provincial criminal justice system, and as such relies upon the input of the services of many stakeholders to be able to function effectively. I am thankful to the EU and UNDP for their work towards strengthened probation directorate. I assure KP Government’s full support wherever required and look forward to working together.”

The workshop was attended by senior officers from Reclamation and Probation Department, KP Home and Tribal Affairs Department, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Judiciary, Prosecution, Police, Prison and UNDP, UN Women, and UNODC.

This activity was held through the EU supported “Promoting the Rule of Law and Enhancing the Criminal Justice System in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Newly Merged Districts and Balochistan” project. Jointly implemented by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the programme aims to support reform processes to ensure delivery of people-centered justice, enhance access to justice for all, particularly women and less privileged groups; and improve service delivery of the security sector in line with constitutional safeguards and international standards.

Meanwhile, in an effort to strengthen the Dispute Resolution Councils (DRC) of Malakand Division, a consultative workshop was held today.

The DRCs are an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) forum established under the KP Police Act 2017 and provide alternative dispute resolution services at the police station, subdivision, and district level. A statutory forum, the DRC provides services to the masses at the grass root level enabling citizens to benefit from out of court services for dispute resolution.