United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions, Alexandre Zouev, visited Egypt from 18 to 20 June to further strengthen the solid partnership established between the United Nations Office for Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI) with the Egyptian government over the years.
The visit focused on the areas of police, justice, corrections, disarmament, demobilisation, reintegration, and mine action.
In Egypt, Zouev met high-level government officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, defence, interior and its Police Academy, justice and the Prosecutor General’s office as well as with the Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding.
Assistant Secretary-General Zouev’s visit came in the context of a regular high-level visit undertaken by OROLSI senior officials to forge stronger relations with Egypt, a key partner in multilateral diplomacy and security, particularly in the Africa and MENA regions.
During Zouev’s visit, Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) hosted the signing ceremony of a cooperation framework with the UN OROLSI to enhance their cooperation in the areas of preventing radicalisation and extremism leading to terrorism, disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration.
OROLSI includes five components: Police Division; Justice and Corrections Service; Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration Section; Security Sector Reform Unit, and UN Mine Action Service.
On the ground, more than 15,000 security professionals are fulfilling a wide range of essential tasks, including national capacity and institution building. Police peacekeepers patrol crime hotspots alongside officers from national law enforcement agencies. Weapons experts educate civilians on the risks of explosive hazards. Judicial and corrections officers help ensure that all citizens be treated equally under the law. DDR specialists help former fighters reintegrate into society. Security sector reform advisers ensure that oversight and accountability are built into police, defence, and intelligence services.
As a UN specialised capacity, OROLSI deploys high quality technical expertise and advisory support at the request of host-governments to assist conflict-affected countries to re-establish the rule of law and security institutions necessary to build and sustain peace, according to OROLSI’s website.
Beginning in January 2019, OROLSI began its function as the UN system-wide service provider for technical support in the areas of rule of law and security institutions to UN peace operations and to member states and UN system entities in non-UN mission settings.
