Couple Mohammed Drihem
Very recently, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane attended the first graduation ceremony relating to the specialized training program on counter-terrorism investigations organized by the said University and the Office of the Counter-Terrorism Program and United Nations Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Training Center in Africa.
23 law enforcement officers, including seven 7 women, from 6 six African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal), were honored with a certificate issued by UNOCT and the University Al Akhawayn during this ceremony and this, after having completed 400 hours of training focused on strengthening their technical capacities to investigate terrorism-related crimes.
Organized face-to-face, this training covered 4 modules, covering the basic, intermediate, advanced and trainer levels over a period of one calendar year. At the end of the 4 levels, graduates will transfer their knowledge by training other law enforcement officers in their home country, with the support of relevant national training institutions, national police academies and the Office of the UNOCT counter-terrorism program and training in Africa.
Highly specialized; This training also offered an important opportunity to the trainees to share their experiences and build a network of regional cooperation in the field of the fight against terrorism.
Designed and delivered by the UNOCT Program Office in Rabat and the Global Counter-Terrorism Investigation Programme, this training is the first specialized course to be certified by a university.
Also, it should be noted that the certification of the specialized training program on counter-terrorism investigations promotes the standardization of UNOCT’s capacity building work through a comprehensive, sustainable and accredited framework.
UNOCT’s specialized training on counter-terrorism investigations was kindly funded by the Commonwealth of Australia, Italy, the Kingdom of Morocco, Portugal and the United Nations Peace and Development Fund (UNPDF).
It should also be noted that during the graduation ceremony, Mauro Miedico, Deputy Director of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Center and Director of the Special Projects and Innovation Branch at UNOCT, and Dr Amine Bensaïd, President of Al Akhawayn University, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between UNOCT and AUI to formalize the partnership between the two institutions, develop accredited university programs and joint research activities.
On this occasion, the President of Al Akhawayn University, Dr. Amine Bensaïd welcomed this multilateral initiative and expressed his full support to UNOCT and the Moroccan government.
For Tim Watts, Australian Deputy Foreign Minister: “Terrorism is a global problem that requires a global response. We owe it to our fellow citizens to take collective action to ensure their safety. Australia is a committed international partner. We will continue to work with multilateral and regional organizations, such as the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office, for a safer world.”
In his opening speech, Mauro Miedico highlighted how the UNOCT office in Rabat has become a valuable cutting-edge training center to support African countries and highlighted the quality of the courses provided.