“Public safety and social cohesion” – these were the key words in the training for Luhansk Oblast policemen conducted on August 30, 2018 in Sievierodonetsk by the UNDP and Kharkiv Institute for Social Research with the participation of UHHRU expert on police issues Oleg Martynenko.

The one-day training was aimed at showing prevention police officers and communication experts how to work in newly liberated cities, describing the crime-related problems that local communities and police will be facing, and teaching them approaches to working with the population affected by the conflict and Russian propaganda.

Oleg Martynenko’s presentation focused on approaches and principles that are being implemented by the UHHRU for three years now, such as transitional justice as an element of post-conflict society development; security sector reform; and restoration of the rights of victims of armed conflicts. Practical communication exercises proved useful as well, since unbiased and open communication with local communities is the first step for the government toward earning the trust of citizens.