German government sponsors an initiative to teach Iraqi officials "proper interviewing techniques"

Shafaq News/ Iraq's Ministry of Interior has established a new state-of-art training establishment to help Iraqi police officers "learn and practice proper interviewing techniques", a UNDP-Iraq press release said on Tuesday.

The "state-of-the-art interview training room" was funded by the German government to "provide Iraqi police officers with a modern space where they can learn and practice proper interviewing techniques."

Representatives of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, the German government, and the United United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) attended the inauguration ceremony held in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, earlier today.

"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.

The initiative, according to the statement, aims to" enhance the quality of investigations and improve Iraqi law enforcement’s compliance to international standards and norms, moving from confession-based investigations to comprehensive evidence gathering."

The state-of-the-art facility, which was established inside the Criminal Investigation Training Center, will help the Ministry "implement people-centered policing, complementing UNDP’s ongoing work in establishing model police stations in the most crucial areas across the country."

The statement shed light on the UNDP’s "transformative work" in the Iraqi security sector and its role 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."