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Western Indian Ocean: Sustainable Capacity Building & Women in Law Enforcement

Port Victoria, Seychelles 30 June 2024 – The Republic of Seychelles serves as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Maritime Crime Programme’s (UNODC GMCP) regional training hub for the Western Indian Ocean. Maritime law enforcement (MLE) personnel from across the region convene with counterparts from across the region in Port Victoria to receive advanced and specialized MLE training with UNODC international experts. In June 2024, UNODC GMCP concluded a three-week Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) train-the-trainer course with a component on radiological and nuclear detection for boarding officers from Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles Somalia, and Tanzania.

In the week preceding the regional course, eight officers from the Tanzania Marine Police, Kenya Coast Guard Service, Seychelles Marine Police Unit, and Seychelles Defence Forces completed the VBSS Instructor Course under the mentorship and guidance of UNODC GMCP instructors on the delivery of VBSS content, presentation skills, the development of theory lessons, best practices for demonstrations and procedures, and trainee safety.  With the successful completion of the course, the national trainers were certified to support UNODC GMCP instructors in delivering training in their home countries or at the regional level as a further step toward eventually delivering training independently. 

"I am honoured to serve as a national instructor in my country. I have grown significantly as an officer over the past three years with the UNODC programme. This experience has honed my leadership skills. It has deepened my understanding of the maritime domain, enhanced my career, and positively influenced my approach to training officers. With the knowledge gained, I now train officers in my unit, and being a female instructor i wanted to be a powerful example and role model for other young women who want to develop a career in the maritime field," said Corporal Isabel Robert, who has been with the Seychelles Marine Police Unit for nine years and has served as a training officer for the last five years. Her role as a female instructor within her unit underscores the importance of diversity and how this inspires other female officers to pursue leadership roles. She also highlights that she has been part of a "colossal drug interdiction with over 900 kilos of drugs seized on the coast of Seychelles” and that she is proud to have been the boarding officer leading the operation alongside junior officers she had trained using all the knowledge and skills gained from the UNODC courses.

Such efforts align with the UN's SDG 5 on gender equality by promoting women's participation in MLE. Inclusion of women in these courses enriches the training environment with perspectives often overlooked in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Highlighting their backgrounds and passion underscores women's ability to excel in challenging law enforcement roles. This was further noted by Sub-inspector Yolanda Paulo from the Mozambique Coastal, Lake and Riverine Police, who stated, “Women also play a fundamental role in the security forces because, by their nature, they can perceive sensitive details in the lives of others who may be involved in crime.”

As UNODC GMCP continues its efforts to strengthen maritime security in the WIO, these initiatives additionally align with SDG 16, which aims to promote peace, justice, and strong institutions and SDG 14, which focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans by addressing security threats that can undermine marine ecosystems. Furthermore, GMCP’s implementation in the region reaffirms the terms set out in UNODC's Strategic Vision for Africa, 2030, emphasising the promotion of sustainable development and the safeguarding of Africa's natural resources.

This initiative was made possible through the support of the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) highlighting international collaboration in strengthening maritime security frameworks.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. David O’Connell (David.OConnell@un.org)

Western Indian Ocean Programme Coordinator

Global Maritime Crime Programme

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Click here to visit the UNODC Global Maritime Crime Programme website.