Public Eye

Commonwealth Expert Group on Policing

Policing is one of the most critical human rights issues facing the Commonwealth today. Over the last few years, more and more support has been building for the Commonwealth to take a serious look at the policing within its borders. Richard Bourne, Director of the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit and Maja Daruwala, Director of Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), recently met with Don McKinnon, the Commonwealth Secretary General. The Secretary General indicated to Richard and Maja that the Commonwealth Secretariat is considering putting together a Commonwealth Expert Group on Policing. The Expert Group would build on the Secretariat's work on police training in West Africa, which it has been conducting through its Human Rights Unit.

The countries of the Commonwealth share a colonial history. In many parts of the Commonwealth, the police reflect this mutual legacy. Colonial style policing is regime policing; a style of policing that aims to keep those in power, in power, and rejects any notion that a police service should be charged, first and foremost, with the impartial and democratic protection of the people it serves. Colonial policing can lead to depressed democracies, brutality and violence, and widespread violations of basic human rights. In some countries of the Commonwealth, colonial policing still reigns. In others, progressive reforms have pulled the police into the 21st century. This means that the Commonwealth is in the unique position of having communities in desperate need of police reform, and also communities that illustrate the best kind of policing to be found across the world.

Commonwealth Expert Groups have an excellent record of pulling together skilled authorities from around the Commonwealth and making recommendations that have influenced both members of the Commonwealth and the wider international community. The creation of an Expert Group is a real chance for the Commonwealth to positively impact on the lives of its communities, and to also showcase best practice examples of democratic policing to the rest of the world.

Last year, both the Commonwealth People's Forum and the Commonwealth Human Rights Forum called on the Commonwealth to "establish a Commonwealth Expert Group on policing to develop guidelines on training, accountability mechanisms, legal regimes and mutual professional support to ensure democratic policing." In meetings, government delegations also expressed support, and in their 2005 CHOGM communiqué, the Commonwealth Heads of Government urged member countries to ensure that "national poverty reduction frameworks and development assistance programmes include measures to build effective and accountable security and justice sectors, particularly in countries affected by conflicts."

The Commonwealth has responded to these calls and, while there has been no Secretariat commitment to an Expert Group, or discussion of its form or terms of reference, CHRI is hopeful that the importance that varied stakeholders such as police agencies, governments and civil society are placing on democratic policing and police reform will translate to an Expert Group in the near future. CHRI is calling for interested people and groups in the Commonwealth to convey their support for an Expert Group to the Secretary General. The Secretary General's email address is secretary-general@commonwealth.int. A sample letter to the Secretary General has been drafted by CHRI; it can be accessed by clicking here.

If you have any questions, contact Daniel Woods at CHRI.