Starting in Vienna, Austria, the NCHR delegation met with partners at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) to finalise the first ever UN online E-learning course on investigative interviewing.
Vienna
The aim of the course is to offer a free self-paced comprehensive introduction to investigative interviewing – which is crucial knowledge to be applied in all types of investigations. While the primary target audience is police officers and investigators, the course will also benefit lawyers, decision-makers, interest groups and other professionals working on matters connected to the Rule of Law and fair trial principles. The course will be available in the UNODC E-learning library by January 2022.
Geneva
In Geneva, Switzerland, NCHR met with partners from the Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI) to discuss the development of further training material and organising joint educational activities on Investigative Interviewing.
Together with the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), NCHR laid plans on how to advocate for UN endorsement of the Mendez Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering.
Germany
NCHR together with German partners took the first steps toward dissemination and implementation of the principles in Germany. They met with German police officers and were received in the Bundestag by parliamentarian Sebastian Fiedler. The discussions centered on how best to approach dissemination and implementation on the local, state and federal level.
NCHR also briefed the Norwegian permanent missions at the UN in Vienna and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Berlin on upcoming initiatives and received advice on advocating the Méndez Principles vis-à-vis the UN.