Kinshasa, September 8th, 2026 (CPA).- The celebration of the International Police Cooperation Day has provided to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) an opportunity to reaffirm, on Monday in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, its commitment to the professionalization of the Congolese National Police (PNC), according to a press release received on Tuesday by CPA. “In this context, the international police cooperation appears to be an indispensable strategic tool for strengthening the capacities of security services, improving information sharing and developing joint prevention and response mechanisms,” has declared Colonel Etienne Kalenda, head of the PNC’s International Police Cooperation Service (SCPI), as quoted in the press release. Organised by the PNC on the campus of the University of Kinshasa, the third edition has brought together national and international actors around the theme: “Digital technology at the heart of police cooperation”. According to the IOM, the discussions have focused on the security challenges linked to digital transformation, cybercrime and changes in the modus operandi of transnational organised crime. The information-sharing, capacity-building and joint mechanisms thus appear to be key levers for prevention and response to these new threats. As a technical and strategic partner of the PNC since 2010, the IOM supports police cooperation, the professionalization of police forces and the strengthening of security governance. “Since 2015, the organisation supports the reform and the professionalization of the PNC, notably through the expansion of community policing in Haut-Katanga, Ituri, Kasai, Kasai-Oriental, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu and Tanganyika,” the press release has indicated.
Over 2,000 police officers trained in community policing
This cooperation has, in particular, enabled over 2,000 police officers to be trained in the community policing doctrine, promoting an approach based on prevention, dialogue and trust between the security forces and local communities. “More than 70 main police stations and sub-stations have also been built to improve public access to security services”, the organisation has revealed, adding that it has also helped to distribute more than 2,000 leaflets on community policing and to produce 1,500 practical guides, notably to support the fight against child labour in mines. Early warning systems have also been put in place to strengthen the detection of incidents and improve the response to security threats, according to the IOM. The International Police Cooperation Day has been established by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/77/241, adopted on December 16th, 2022. It highlights the contribution of law enforcement agencies to global security. The resolution emphasises the importance of strengthening international cooperation in preventing and combating transnational organised crime and terrorism. The first edition was celebrated in 2023.