Gitega, Burundi, 18 June 2026 – Gathered as part of a technical retreat held in Gitega from 15 to 18 June 2026, representatives of the Higher Police Institute, the training services of the Burundi National Police and the Independent National Human Rights Commission worked, alongside United Nations experts in human rights, women’s rights, gender, child protection, the right to information, freedom of expression and the safety of journalists, to update the current police training provision on human rights.
The work aimed to review the existing training modules in order to align them more closely with evolving national, regional and international standards, and to make them better suited to the current challenges facing law enforcement agencies. The retreat therefore focused, on the one hand, on updating the modules relating to human rights, child protection and the prevention of gender-based violence and, on the other hand, on developing a new module devoted to freedom of expression, the safety of journalists and relations between the police and the media.
For General Joseph Ninteretse, Inspector General of the Burundi National Police, the stakes go beyond mere compliance with standards.
“The protection of fundamental rights, the guarantee of freedom of expression and the safety of journalists are not options; they are obligations that lead to the credibility and effectiveness of the PNB”, he stressed in his opening remarks.
The Representative of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Burundi, Mr Laurent Akobi Banouin for his part, welcomed a decisive step, stating that “the integration of themes relating to freedom of expression, the right to information and the safety of journalists into Police training curricula constitutes a major advance. It will not only strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies to carry out their missions in accordance with national and international human rights standards, but also consolidate relations of trust and collaboration between the security forces and media professionals”.
Over four days, participants analysed the existing modules, identified the themes to be strengthened and worked on developing revised content. Particular attention was given to the use of practical cases, including cases drawn from the Burundian context and other African countries, in order to promote more concrete training focused on the skills and operational situations encountered by police officers.
Discussions focused in particular on international and regional standards relating to freedom of expression, legitimate restrictions on this freedom, the prevention of hate speech, the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. Participants also examined the role of law enforcement agencies in protecting journalists, particularly during public order operations, public demonstrations and sensitive situations.
This approach aims to strengthen the capacity of police officers to translate human rights principles into daily professional practices, particularly in their interactions with vulnerable groups, victims, citizens and media professionals.
At the end of the work, participants adopted a roadmap covering a period of three months to continue the drafting, harmonisation, validation and integration of the revised modules into the training programmes of the Burundi National Police. A working committee was also established to ensure the technical follow up of the process, in liaison with the competent authorities and United Nations partners.
Following validation by the Burundian authorities, a pool of trainers will be established within the Burundi National Police, with the mission of taking ownership of the new content and disseminating it through initial and continuing training systems. A pilot session will then be organised and conducted by the trainers from this pool, with the technical support of UNESCO and the partner agencies.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/burundi-takes-key-step-towards-integrating-freedom-expression-and-safety-journalists-its-national?hub=701
