The Women Police Officers Network (WPON) in South East Europe held its 2nd Annual Meeting 1-3 December 2011 in Becici. The meeting was jointly organized by UNDP/SEESAC, the South East Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA) and the Police Directorate of Montenegro.  The meeting was opened by Mr. Veselin Veljovic, the Director of the Police Directorate of Montenegro and President SEPCA; Ms. Lovita Ramgutee, UNDP Montenegro Deputy Resident Representative; Mr. Zlatko Miletic, Executive Director of SEPCA; Ms. Jelena Vasiljevic, outgoing Chair of the WPON Executive Committee; and Ms. Jane Townsley, President of the International Association of Women Police (IAWP).   ... read more

On 29 November 2011, Ms. Kori Udovicki - UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and UNDP Regional Director for Europe and CIS met with Mr. Veselin Veljovic - Director of the Police Directorate of Montenegro and President of Southeast Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA). The meeting took place during the SEPCA donators conference, which UNDP took part in, and during which UNDP expressed interest in executing a portion of projects dedicated to strengthening capacities of regional police services. On this occasion, Ms. Udovicki and Mr. Veljovic signed a Memorandum of Understanding between UNDP and SEPCA, which provides a framework of cooperation and facilitates collaboration between the two organizations, on a non-exclusive basis, in areas of common interest.  ... read more

From 29 November through 1 December 2011, the Southeast Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA) held its Annual Coordination Meeting in Becici, Montenegro. Ms. Jelena Vasiljevic, Chair of the Women Police Officers Network Executive Committee, presented before SEPCA the main activities implemented within the Women Police Officers Network project, which is a joint initiative of SEPCA and UNDP/SEESAC-Office for Human Security.  ... read more

On 17 November, the State Police of the Republic of Albania organized the presentation of the report “Establishing the Southeast Europe Women Police Officers Network” research findings. The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Interior - Ms. Iva Zajmi, General Director of State Police - Mr. Hysni Burgaj, the UN Resident Coordinator - Ms. Zineb Touimi-Benjelloun, as well as by the heads of regional police departments, police officers members of the Women’s  Forum of the Police Association, and representatives of international donor organizations that support Albanian State Police.  ... read more

The Women Police Officers Network in South East Europe (WPON) Working Group met for two days, from 29 September until 1 October 2011 in Arandjelovac, Serbia to jointly develop guidelines for gender sensitive police practice.  The working group analyzed questionnaire inputs, provided by seven police services in South Eastern Europe, on existing policies and practices related to the recruitment, selection, retention and professional development for women in police services. Based on the analysis, the group developed draft guidelines which will be finalized by the end of 2011. The Guidelines will help police services in SEE to attract more qualified women into the police profession and improve their career prospects within it.  ... read more

"Female Staff Association in the Security Sector: Agents of Change?" is the title of the latest in the series of Occasional Papers published by The Centre for Security, Development and the Rule of Law (DCAF).  The paper examines the structures, mandates and activities of 67 female staff associations and networks in the security sector, analyses whether and how they meet members' needs, and gauges the effect or influence they have had on changing policies and practices in their institutions and in the communities they serve.   ... read more

Within the scope of capacity development and networking activities undertaken under the UNDP/SEESAC project "Support for Gender Mainstreaming in Policing Practice in SEE" project, the Executive Committee of the Women Police Officers Network in South East Europe (WPON) is attending the Annual Conference of the International Association of Women Police (IAWP). The conference is taking place in Lexington, Kentucky from 21 to 25 August 2011. Attendance at the conference will enhance the capacity of WPON Executive Committee through both practical training and global networking opportunities Participation at this imporant event of WPON Chair, Ms. Jelena Vasiljevic (Ministry of Interior of Republic of Serbia), WPON Deputy Chair, Ms. Lidija Pentavec (Ministry of Interior of Republic of Croatia) and WPON Chair Elect, Ms. Sanja Sumonja (BiH -Republika Srpska) is supported by UNDP/SEESAC.  ... read more

UNDP/SEESAC together with the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Croatia and in close cooperation with the South East Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA) began a workshop on Gender and Security within the framework of the Women Police Officers Network in South East Europe (WPON). The aim of this workshop is to further develop the capacity of WPON Council members to act as gender advocates within their police services. Police officers from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are attending the three day seminar which is taking place in Valbandon, Croatia.  ... read more

The Southeast Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA) held its General Assembly meeting in Skopje, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The three-day meeting took place from April 14-16^th 2011 and was hosted by the Ministry of Interior of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.  The Assembly voted on the SEPCA’s 3-year strategy and Action Plan for 2011, chose the new Executive Board, and reviewed project and partner activities. Under the auspices of SEPCA, UNDP/SEESAC implements a project supporting the Women Police Officer’s Network (WPON) aimed at gender mainstreaming in police practice in Southeast Europe. Ms. Jelena Vasiljevic, Chair of the WPON Council,  and Ms. Bojana Balon, WPON Project Manager, reported to the assembly and received unwavering support from the police chiefs for WPON’s activities and 2011 work plan. The work plan envisages capacity development for the WPON council members and development of guidelines for gender mainstreaming in police practice.  ... read more