ASEANAPOL Executive Director participated in the UN Women Training Workshop on Gender Responsive Community Oriented Policing

On June 3 and 4, 2024, ASEANAPOL Secretariat Executive Director David Martinez Vinluan participated in the two-day Training Workshop on Gender Responsive Community-Oriented Policing, held at the Marco Polo Hotel, Philippines. The workshop was facilitated by the ASEANAPOL Secretariat in collaboration with Ms. Lea Biazon and Ms. Asuka Murata of UN Women based in New York, USA, Police Colonel Nieves Dela Peña of the Family, Juvenile and Gender Affairs Division, and Police Colonel Gemma Cruz-Vinluan of the Community Affairs Division, PNP Directorate for Police Community Relations. Ms. Lea Biazon and Ms. Asuka Murata works with the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) and the Republic of Korea in implementing initiatives to promote policewomen's leadership in sustaining peace in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

On the second day of the workshop, Executive Director David Martinez Vinluan took the opportunity to introduce ASEANAPOL to the participants from the PNP. He began by providing an overview of ASEANAPOL, explaining its role as a collaborative network of police forces from the ASEAN member countries. He highlighted the organization's mission to enhance regional cooperation in law enforcement and its vision of creating a safer and more secure ASEAN community. Executive Director Vinluan delved into the specific challenges that ASEANAPOL aims to address, particularly t he rising threats posed by transnational organized crimes. He emphasized that these crimes are not confined by national borders and require a coordinated, international response. He outlined some of the key areas of focus for ASEANAPOL, including human trafficking, drug smuggling, terrorism, and cybercrime. In his discussion, Vinluan stressed the importance of adapting to the evolving nature of crime, particularly with the increasing use of technology by criminal organizations. He pointed out that the "cyber highway" has become a new frontier for criminal activities, enabling perpetrators to operate across borders with greater ease and anonymity. He urged the PNP participants to broaden their approach to crime prevention and suppression, encouraging them to look beyond local issues and consider the global implications of their work.

Executive Director Vinluan emphasized the importance of women in peace and security as they are reliable partners in combating the emerging threats of transnational organized crimes in the regional. Common victims of transnational organized crimes are the marginalized members of the community most especially women and children where policewomen play key role in the strategy to prevent, suppress and solve crime incidents.

“Together We Keep This Region Safe”