(VNF) - Twenty two Police officers from South, South East and North Asia be in Hanoi this week for the 38th Asia Region Law Enforcement Management Program (ARLEMP), with the theme of Women in Police Leadership.

ARLEMP is a long-term partnership between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security through the General Department of Police (GDP), the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and RMIT International University in Vietnam. Originating in 2005, ARLEMP has become a flag-ship program for emerging Police managers and leaders in the region. Over 700 Police have graduated from the course since its inception and are working together to combat transnational crimes in our region.

“Women police continue to be under represented in leadership roles in our region despite being acknowledged as playing a critical role in the development of modern policing” says Australian Ambassador, Mr. Hugh Borrowman.

“ARLEMP’s ‘Women in Police Leadership’ training provides a platform for female law enforcers to share their experiences in addressing transnational crime and to promote a more collaborative response in the Asia region,” added the Ambassador.

The course, which is being held in Hanoi from 25 May to 4 June, is aligned with key United Nations frameworks, including the UN Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Beijing Platform for Action on Women in Power and Decision Making.

The Australian Government is playing a critical part in the program by providing full funding for the course through its development program and the Australia-Asia Program to Combat Trafficking in Persons (AAPTIP).

Gender equality and empowerment of women and children, key priorities for the Australian Government, are promoted throughout ARLEMP. Two female Australian Federal Police (AFP) leaders: Chair of the AFP’s Women’s Network - Commander Andrea Quinn and, AFP Chief of Staff - Assistant Commissioner Justine Saunders, are visiting Vietnam to inspire emerging female leaders working in law enforcement across Asia.

“We regularly collaborate with partner law enforcement agencies in Asia on operations and the gathering of intelligence. We hope that through programs such as ARLEMP, we can continue to build positive relationships with our international counterparts to address transnational crime” Assistant Commissioner Saunders added. “It is a fantastic opportunity to share skills and knowledge, and to build a dialogue with each other. By doing this, we can strengthen the network of women leaders in Asia.”

ARLEMP will include participants from Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Malpes, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam./.

( VNF )