On 12 November 2018 Lt. Gen. Moafaq Abdulhadi Tawfik, Deputy Minister for Police Affairs Agency officially inaugurated the Local Police Service Road Map of Iraq at the Ministry of Interior, in a ceremony held in the Agency headquarters in Baghdad.

The overall objectives of the Road Map are firstly to put in place transition security arrangements from Iraqi Security Forces to Local Police in post - ISIL Iraq and, to develop a framework with specific emphasis on maintaining trust between Iraqi Local Police Service and the public, as well as to foster collaborative partnerships between the police and other agencies of the Criminal Justice System.

The Local Police Service Road Map therefore, provides a strategy to transition the country from a military oriented focus on security to one of civil security authority in local security matters and, it prioritizes the following Police Core -Functions:  1) Security and Protection Management, 2) Crime Management, 3) Traffic Enforcement Management, 4) Improving Effectiveness of Local Police Service (IELP), and 5) Community Policing. Furthermore, the Road Map also highlights six crosscutting supporting functions: a) Finance, b) Human Resources (HR), c) Training, d) Equipment, e) Infrastructure and f) Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Ministry of Interior appointed Committee of senior officials with strategic advice and assistance from UNDP Iraq developed the Road Map.

Lt. Gen. Moafaq Abdulhadi Tawfik, Deputy Minister for Police Affairs Agency said "I extend my sincere gratitude and thanks to the Road Map Committee for their exceptional work in developing this important document that will guide the Local Police Service in Post- ISIL Iraq. The Road Map is timely and it complements directly to the New Government Programme's vision to transition of internal security to Local Police. On behalf of the Police Affairs Agency and the Ministry of Interior I also extend my sincere thanks to UNDP for its advice and assistance in this important work."

UNDP Acting Country Director Gerardo Noto added "improving Local Police Service is an identified key priority within the Government of Iraq's ongoing Security Sector Reform Programme under the system priority Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement that is supported by UNDP and International Partners. Therefore the successful implementation of the Local Police Service Road Map will be a critical milestone in restoring public security services, rule of law and sustainable peace in Iraq.  UNDP will continue to facilitate advice and assistance to the Police Affairs Agency and Ministry of Interior in this critical work in the coming months."

UNDP is grateful to Germany for its generous funding to carry out this important work in Iraq.

For additional information, please contact:

Ms. Chamila Hemmathagama, Rule of Law/ Security Sector Reform
Programme Manager. (m): +964 751 184 3529