4 February 2009 - A week-long training course on the UNODC manual to counter kidnapping was recently inaugurated in Mexico City. The opening included senior officials from the Mexico General Attorney's Office, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Relations and UNODC.
This collaboration is a direct outcome from UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa's visit to Mexico last October. Mexican authorities expressed their gratitude to UNODC for the prompt action that enabled this first training. Moreover, they expressed their optimism with regard to enhanced collaboration at the national and regional levels as an outcome of the manual's implementation in Mexico. They particularly emphasized the scope for improved coordination between specialized government units.
Mr. Jose Manuel Martinez Morales, Regional Representative for UNODC, underlined the organization's commitment to work with Mexican authorities to draw up a work plan in line with the training outcomes. Moreover, the training will become part of the programme of cooperation that UNODC is building with several Mexican agencies for 2009.
Nearly 40 trainees revised the manual's tools/definitions and practical exercises at the premises of the federal police. Trainees include officials from the General Attorney's Office (PGR), its specialized Unit for Organized Crime, Crime Prevention (CENAPI), and the state units of PGR which were recently created to fight kidnapping at the local level. Federal Police officials also attended the workshop.
