UNODC Executive Director Ghada Fathi Waly delivers her opening statement.
“By fostering a culture of mentorship and support, we not only help individual women succeed but also create a ripple effect that strengthens our institutions and communities (…) this event and UNODC’s efforts in gender empowerment are not just about immediate impact; they are designed to foster long-term, sustainable development within law enforcement, ensuring that women have equal opportunities to thrive and lead,” said Ms. Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in her opening remarks at the Continental Leadership Workshop for African and Middle Eastern Female Officers Working in Ports and Airports held in Cairo from 8 to 10 July. Accompanied by H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Negm, Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt for Multilateral Affairs and International Security, and H.E. Ambassador Louis Dumas, the Ambassador of Canada to Egypt, the ceremony was moderated by Mrs. Cristina Iampieri, Head of the UNODC Passenger and Cargo Border Team.
Participants from three African regions —Middle East and North Africa, West and Central Africa, and Eastern and Southern Africa— in a panel discussion about followership.
This groundbreaking initiative by UNODC, through the Passenger and Cargo Border Team aimed to enhance leadership and mentorship skills among 25 senior women law enforcement officers from 11 countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria and Uganda. The outcome was the establishment of a continental network of senior law enforcement officers equipped with the necessary skills to mentor their young colleagues within their organizations. This network will serve as a platform for exchanging knowledge, experience, and best practices, ultimately aiming to empower women in the law enforcement sector.
H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Negm highlighted the significance of such programmes in fostering professional and personal development for women law enforcement officers, stating: “Today's meeting represents one of the mechanisms that can enhance the role of women law enforcement officers to reach leadership positions, enabling them to participate effectively in the development process and consolidate their leadership role as well as helping them develop and foster their professional and personal skills and address any challenges they face at work.”
Workshop participants in an interactive session.
Adding a continental aspect to this workshop strengthened cross-country collaboration, offering diversified perspectives and solutions to shared challenges. The discussions emphasized empowering women in leadership roles to become mentors in their respective countries. A participant from Lebanon highlighted the value of the diverse interactions: “Such initiatives where we exchange experiences with several countries from different cultures and sometimes languages, enrich our experience and highlight to us the strengths and weakness points we have. It makes us evaluate ourselves and how we work and helps us eliminate weaknesses and focus on strengths."
Over the three-day workshop, participants engaged in self-development, teambuilding, and delved into key components of mentoring others through group work exercises and panel discussions Further interventions were delivered by senior law enforcement officers from Mali, Nigeria and Kenya on different leadership styles, success stories and challenges as women climbing the ladder in law enforcement at ports and airports. Additionally, PCBT partner INTERPOL delivered an online presentation on its ENACT programme, an initiative that aligns with the values emphasized in the workshop, focusing on creating a secure networking environment for African women in law enforcement.
Advanced gender mainstreaming session moderated by an expert.
A participant from Uganda expressed the transformative impact of the workshop: “After this training, I am going home as a new person, as a better leader,” adding that the sessions were very interactive, which allowed participants to exchange with one another and learn from diverse leadership styles. Another participant from Namibia emphasized the significance of the programme, stating: “Empowering women and putting us in a role where we mentor and guide and educate the others is crucial.”
Key components of the training included developing self-accountability, agency, communication, decision-making, information-seeking, flexibility, resilience, inclusion and self-control - skills that a successful law enforcement mentor should possess. The event also promoted collaboration and networking among female law enforcement officers in Africa and the Middle East. The participant from Mali underscored the importance of the initiative in building leadership capacities: “This initiative strengthens the capacity for young leaders and mentors to manage teams, which is very important in law enforcement in order to achieve good results.”
Workshop participants in an interactive session about promoting a culture free of harassment.
Supported by the Governments of Canada, the United States and the European Union, this event marks the kick-off of the multi-phase PCBT mentorship programme for female law enforcement officers in Africa and the Middle East. The overall aim of the programme is to create a network of mentors and mentees, the expansion of which is subject to funding, and to increase women's access to leadership roles in order to promote a more inclusive and resilient future for global security.
Global Head of PCBT, Ms. Cristina Iampieri, moderates a session.
The UNODC Passenger and Cargo Border Team (PCBT), established in May 2023, implements the Container Control Programme (CCP) jointly with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Airport Communication Programme (AIRCOP) with INTERPOL and the WCO.
AIRCOP aims at strengthening the capacities of international airports to target and intercept high-risk passengers, cargo and mail, as a contribution to the fight against illicit drugs and other illicit commodities, terrorism-related threats, trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.
The mission of the CCP is to build capacity in countries seeking to improve risk management, supply chain security, and trade facilitation in seaports, airports and land border crossings in order to prevent the cross-border movement of illicit goods.
