A Training Manual And Teaching Guide (2017)

“The most efficient public security mechanism is the one that enjoys the love, trust, cooperation

and respect of the society…and this entails respecting the rights of the people…” – Momodou

Sowe, Deputy Inspector-General of Police for The Gambia

The existence of legislative frameworks for the protection of rights, while necessary, cannot have beneficial

impact on the lives of individuals without effective and fair implementation of justice in society. The Public

Security corps plays a crucial role in these systems. Ironically, public security officers in various countries

have often been perceived by society as major agents of human rights violations, thereby generating

friction in the relationship between the public security corps and civilians.

Mindful of the necessity to inculcate a human rights culture in the public security corps, authorities of The

Gambia Police Force (GPF) have been keen on collaborating with the Institute for Human Rights and

Development in Africa (IHRDA) to build the human rights capacity of GPF Officers. Within the context of

this collaboration, IHRDA began in 2015 a human rights education program for Gambia public security

officers, with the support of the British Embassy in Banjul. Following the success of the initial phase, which

included a series of human rights training sessions for officers in various parts of The Gambia, it was

recommended that human rights should be instituted in the curriculum of the Police Training School, to

ensure that officers receive specialized training in the application of human rights norms and principles to

their mission of public protection and service. This training manual is therefore conceived, in collaboration

with management of the Police Training School, to meet the above aspiration, thanks to the support of the

Canadian Embassy in Dakar through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

The training manual is a comprehensive and user-friendly document that draws from international, regional

and Gambian domestic laws and practice relevant to policing and human rights. The manual considers

a number of different thematic areas across 12 chapters. The training guidance at the end of the manual

aims to provide trainers with practical examples for running training sessions on the content covered

in the manual. The exercises given can be used to develop understanding through collaboration and

participation of students in the learning experience. This reinforcement of the material helps to cater to a

variety of learning styles, and ensures meaningful engagement.

The manual is accompanied by a human rights module which has also been developed as part of this

initiative – see Annex 1.

It is therefore our hope that this training manual will serve as a useful tool for better understanding and

applying of human rights principles in the everyday duties of public security officers in The Gambia.

IHRDA would like to particularly thank the Canadian Embassy in Dakar for its financial support to this

project, and to commend the authorities of the GPF for their commitment towards promoting the human

rights culture within their corps.