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Peacekeeping in Somalia earns Ghanaian policewoman top UN award

Peacekeeping in Somalia earns Ghanaian policewoman top UN award

Ghana

In February 2018, she was deployed on peacekeeping duties to United Nations Somalia, UNSOM, thanks to the impact she made on the community and host state police in Jubaland, she has been named UN Female Police Officer of the Year 2018.

She is UN Police Officer Ms. Phyllis Ama Tebuah Osei. Her impact on the people she served spanned from her own colleagues to women and children in Jubaland.

“Ms. Osei, a Superintendent of Police from the Ghana Police Service, was selected for the Award as her policing work, directly and positively impacted the community and the host state police,” the UN Peacekeeping said in a statement.

“Her contributions enhancing the protection of women and girls, as well as her initiatives to promote women rights in the host state police, embody the spirit of the Award and embrace the values of international policing,” it added.

“It is an honour to work for UNSOM, where I assisted in strengthening activities on gender and child related issues, I also support the police in Jubaland on issues of Justice and Human Rights,” says Officer Osei.

The award ceremony took place on Monday, November 19, and was co-hosted by the UN Police Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN.

Congratulations to UN Police Officer Phyllis Osei who won the annual United Nations Female Police Officer of the Year Award UNPOL UN_OROLSI UNPeacekeeping UNSomalia pic.twitter.com/io0WjnJoHA

— United Nations Police (@UNPOL) November 19, 2018

The effort she put in

Officer Osei has been particularly successful at initiating an adult literacy training for 49 female police officers in Jubaland. The training’s overall goal is to improve their literacy and increase their chances for future promotions.

She also formed a Female Peacekeeper Network (FPN) within UNSOM and AMISOM to provide support to female peacekeepers.

What the UN Police Adviser said about her work

Commissioner Luis Carrilho, praised the awardee for her exemplary conduct. “Ms. Osei was deployed to Somalia earlier this year in February 2018,” he said.

“By April, she had already identified and trained two gender focal points in AMISOM who went onto mentor and advise police officers in the host state police, thereby contributing to the building of a much-needed capacity.

“Soon after, Ms. Osei established four gender desks in the host state police, facilitated a training on sexual and gender-based violence, and initiated a proposal that called for the establishment of a police post near the community thus ensuring access for SGBV survivors.”

Congratulations #UNPOL Officer Phyllis Ama Tebuah Osei from #Ghana on the 2018 UN Female Police Officer of the Year Award / We are all very proud of you & the work you are doing for #Somalia and its people / Thank you #Canada for co-hosting / https://t.co/TIrJ6VWRBB pic.twitter.com/fNIEv4bGvl

— Luis Carrilho (LuisCarrilhoPC) November 19, 2018

About the Award

Known as the United Nations Female Police Officer of the Year Award (formerly the International Female Police Peacekeeper Award), the gong is awarded annually.

Nominations are requested annually from all peacekeeping and special political missions where UN police are deployed.

Based on criteria for high performance, a selection committee, comprising policing and peacekeeping experts, evaluate the conduct and achievements of the nominees with an emphasis on impact of policing service delivery.

The Award aims to establish a role model for women police peacekeepers and to promote the UN Secretary General’s Gender Parity Strategy and DPKO’s Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy, through encouraging Member-states to deploy more female police officers to peacekeeping and special political missions.

UN Police Officer Phyllis Osei from UNSOM wins Female Peacekeeping Award

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