The African Union (AU) Police Strategic Support Group (PSSG) successfully held its inaugural conference from 23-26 September 2014, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The conference identified structural issues and challenges that inhibit police strength, growth, visibility, impact, development and participation in peace support operations as well as peace and security decision making processes. In this regard, the conference made a raft of concrete recommendations which have since been submitted to the AU Commission principals for decision in addressing those challenges. From the 9-14 March 2015, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and TfP supporting partner, Norwegian National Police Directorate (POD) were actively participating. ISS facilitated the Police Strategic Support Group (PSSG) Technical Planning Session (TPS) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Attending the TPS were African police officers representing the regional organizations and institutions as well as the UN, and police advisors to the AU. The purpose of the planning session was to discuss the AU police (AUPOL) Policy, Guidelines, Standards and SOP’s currently being developed by five technical planning teams. The next meeting is scheduled to take place early May 2015 to finalize the documents which are to be submitted for the AU’s approval. Annette Leijenaar, Dr. Ann Livingstone (ISS/TfP consultant for the PSSG developments), and Onnie Kok (responsible for Monitoring and evaluation aspects of the development) participated at the event. The event was mainly financially sponsored by GIZ who is a key partner of ISS/TfP in support to the AU police. African Union Peace Support Operation Division (AU PSOD) arranged a Police Strategic Support Group (PSSG) Workshop from 9-14 March 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop aimed to develop documents on policy, guidelines and Standard Operational Procedures (SOPS) for the AU Police at Headquarters (HQs) and in Peacekeeping Operations. The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and TfP supporting partner, Norwegian National Police Directorate (POD) actively participated which ISS together with PSOD facilitated the workshop. Among those who attended the workshop were representatives from the AU Member States on Ass Inspector General and Commissioner level, Regional Mechanisms on Police Component level and Police Commissioners (present and former) in AU’s Peace Support Operations (PSOs). The documents developed were as follows:

• Police Definition and Identity, Vision and Mission statements, Code of Ethic, Core Values, Function and Structure
• Policy for Individual Police Officers (IPOs) deployed for service in Peace Support Operations (PSOs) by AU Peace and Security Council (PSC)
• Policy for Formed Police Units (FPUs) deployed for service in PSOs by AU PSC
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Selection Assessment and Assistance for IPOs for service in PSOs by AU PSC
• SOP for Assessment of the Operational Capability of FPUs for service in PSOs by AU PSC

The documents are to be further coordinated and designed by a small group of personnel chaired by AUC PSOD Police Coordinator with the assistance from Dr Ann Livingstone who is the adviser at ISS. The involvement of ISS and POD in this process is part of the Training for Peace (TfP) Programme.  The POD 2014 Annual Progress Report and the POD TfP 2015 Annual Work Plan describe the relationship to AU, through PSSG, as important for giving the proper support to PSO capacity and capability building on the continent. This is following the TfP Police Dimension Review in 2013; the TfP International Advisory Board (IAB) Meeting in 2014; and on that of the NORAD Evaluation in 2014. The main outcomes of the PSSG Technical Planning Session were as follows: a. Finalization and submission of the drafts police peace support doctrine for approval, b. Implementation of the approved doctrine to guide international policing approaches in peace support operations.   Read more: AGENDA PSSG TECHNICAL PLANNING SESSION CONCEPT NOTE FOR PSSG PLANNING SESSION ADDIS ABABA