{{President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police;
Heads of Regional Police Organisations in Africa;
Chiefs of Police and Heads of Delegation;
Distinguished Delegates;
Ladies and Gentlemen:}}
I am pleased to be here with you to share insights into the crucial relationship between development, technology and security on our continent in the coming decades.
It is evident that the security challenges of the twenty-first century are increasingly sophisticated as well as global, and require international collaboration to effectively combat them.
This meeting in Kigali is therefore significant and timely, and its outcomes should form the framework for improved security and development in our region and beyond, and enhance global police cooperation in combating crime.
First of all, the theme is highly relevant and resonates with the issues of concern to our people in Africa, namely greater cooperation and integration and the use of technology to create a safer and more prosperous world.
At the heart of our discussion here, is the consensus that exists among the leaders and people of our countries that individually we can achieve a lot, but collectively we can develop even faster and more sustainably.
Second, we recognise the fact that development can only take place on the foundation of law and order. Law enforcement agencies therefore have a crucial role in ensuring peaceful conditions within which citizens can fully participate in the prosperity and well-being of their communities.
Third, we must appreciate our current realities, where in an increasingly globalized world, events in one country, region or continent have far-reaching consequences beyond national and natural borders. This inevitably includes security threats.
These three elements – the historical mission of the police, its role in a modern, integrated political and economic setting, and common security threats – define the nature of effective law enforcement agencies in our time. In this kind of environment cooperation becomes imperative.
{{Distinguished Delegates;}}
As nations develop, so do their institutions. In order to remain relevant to the environment in which they operate, law enforcement organizations must be prepared for new roles that come with shifting circumstances.
Today’s effective police force therefore must understand these imperatives in order to fulfill its role as an institution that reflects the character, ideology and aspirations of individual nations, and the region within which they operate.
Our collective aspiration is to improve the livelihoods of our people. Again, we can achieve this more effectively when we pool our resources and efforts.
In this regard, it is pertinent to ask: Do police forces in Africa share the ideology of the nations and region they serve? How prepared are they to meet the challenges of integration and globalisation?
Only when we develop the requisite skills, expertise and equipment, and pool our resources and efforts for the shared benefit of our nations can there be effective responses to these questions.
The existence of regional police organisations such as the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (EAPPCO) in this region and similar others in south, west and central Africa is already an important part of the answer.
At the continental level, I am pleased to learn that out of these regional efforts, a wider police organisation is being developed: the African Police Organisation.
The other part of the answer to current policing challenges is provided by technology, especially Information and Communication Technology.
We are all aware of the immense opportunities digital technology offers for development in general and policing in particular. To take full advantage of these prospects, it is critical that police forces are connected internally and across the region, and set up the requisite infrastructure for gathering and sharing information.
However, we also recognise that technology often comes with a downside, including security threats at various levels.
As citizens, governments and industrialists put technology to the service of humanity, criminals are also quick to adopt and abuse this tool. In some cases they are ahead of law enforcement agencies.
The emergence of cyber crime, which encompasses offences ranging from terrorism, money laundering, human trafficking, theft, fraud, drugs, blackmail and many more, constitutes a major challenge to police forces across the world.
To ensure that technology remains a force for good and that criminals are kept in check, the police have no choice but to be on top of latest developments in technology. This requires rethinking and reshaping our approach to community policing.
In this respect, it is essential, first to establish a technology-based global framework for law enforcement.
Secondly, it is necessary to establish greater harmonisation – of standards, regulations, laws and practices – in order to cope with the reality of globalisation and to safeguard the benefits of technology.
This is why it is crucial to reinforce or create cooperation mechanisms and inter-operable policing technologies. This meeting will have served an important purpose if it comes up with such mechanisms between Africa and the rest of the world.
In conclusion, let me reiterate the crucial role of police forces in a context where Africa is on a path to rapid socio-economic transformation in which technology is both a facilitator and motor. Our people need a peaceful and secure environment to effect this transformation.
I believe this forum presents a strategic platform to optimise opportunities and check threats to our chosen path towards a safer and more prosperous world. For this to happen, increased collaboration is the answer.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Leave a Reply