TRIPOLI, 15 June 2013 – On Thursday 13 June 2013, eleven (11) police officers graduated, after an intensive 5-day training session on child protection and child rights which was held at the General Academy Training facility of the Ministry of Interior. The training which was undertaken through the partnership with the Ministry of Interior and supported by UNICEF, was facilitated by the international expert, Dr. Ghassan Khalil. It is part of the ongoing process towards building an effective and sustainable child protection system in Libya.

Director of National Security Colonel Mahmoud Al Sharif, and UNICEF Libya Country Director, Carel de Rooy, handed out certificates to the participants during the graduation ceremony.

The revolution has left a gap in Libya with regards to social protection. The government partners with support of UNICEF have started to build a system to protect children in Libya. Once the system is complete it should provide a holistic protective environment for children whether they are abiding with the law or in conflict with it. So far UNICEF has conducted similar training to the Ministry of Social Affairs' social workers and academia, Ministry of Justice's prosecutors and judges.

"This training is the stepping stone for a bigger achievement, therefore the implementation and willingness of the Libyan population is key to the success of providing children with the protective environment needed," said, UNICEF Libya Country Director, Carel de Rooy during the ceremony, and added "without the willingness which I witness today in the commitment of the police represented by Director of National Security Colonel Mahmoud Al Sharif and his team of trainers, such progress could not be achieved."

This training of trainers is a start of a comprehensive capacity building plan which aims at building the capacity for police, social workers, judges and prosecutors in child protection systems. It covered the principles and provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the relevant Libyan legislation. In addition, the participants were trained on setting learning objectives for training sessions and facilitation skills according to modern methods of active learning.

About UNICEF
UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org

For further information, please contact:
Mr Samir Badran
Communication Specialist, UNICEF Libya
+218 91 93 59 765
sbadran@unicef.org

Or in the UNICEF Regional Office:
Mr Simon Ingram
Regional Chief of Communication, Amman, Jordan
+962 79 590 4740
singram@unicef.org