EUPOL awarded computer skills certifi-cates to ANP Uruzgan, September 2008
In the framework of its comprehensive approach towards Afghanistan, the EU has launched an EU Police mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL AFGHANISTAN) in mid-June 2007. The mission is established for a period of at least 3 years.
The mission aims at contributing to the establishment of sustainable and effective civilian policing arrangements under Afghan ownership and in accordance with international standards. More particularly, the mission monitors, mentors, advises and trains at the level of the Afghan Ministry of Interior, regions and provinces.
EUPOL AFGHANISTAN builds on the efforts of the GPPO (German Police Project Office) and other international actions in the field of police and the rule of law. It aims to bring together individual national efforts under an EU hat, taking due account of the relevant Community activities. Its activities aim at covering the whole of Afghanistan.
Mr Kai VITTRUP was appointed as the Head of the EU Police mission in Afghanistan on 16 October 2008. He succeeds Brigadier-General Jürgen Scholz.
On 17 November 2009, the Council reaffirmed its determination to make a significant contribution to the reform of the Afghan police. Strengthening the Afghan police and rule of law sector is of crucial importance in the promotion of stability and security in Afghanistan. The Council stressed the distinctive role of EUPOL AFGHANISTAN in providing civilian policing expertise as key to the sustainability of police reforms in Afghanistan and acknowledged the importance of close cooperation among the actors on the ground. In this context, the Council underlined the crucial role of the International Police Coordination Board (IPCB).The Council welcomed the consolidation of EUPOL AFGHANISTAN strategic priorities along six objectives, namely intelligence-led policing; police chain of command, control and communication; criminal investigation; anti-corruption; police-prosecutor linkages; and human rights and gender mainstreaming within the Afghan Police. The Council also welcomed the continued progress made by the mission over the last year at strategic, operational and tactical levels.