Human Rights

Too often, the worst violators of human rights are the very security forces intended to protect a country’s citizens. Through its extensive involvement in security and justice sector reform programs, MPRI has successfully promoted and taught the inviolability of human rights at the individual and institutional levels. For 15 years, MPRI has taught security forces, peacekeepers and law enforcement how to carry out their mandates using appropriate levels of force, as well as how to honor their responsibilities to protect citizens’ rights. In addition to many other programs, much of our work with the Department of State Africa Crisis Operations Training Assistance (ACOTA) program and the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) focuses on inculcating human rights standards into African armed forces, and into peacekeeping missions overall.  Through our partnerships with ICITAP and the Department of State, we provide training to police and law enforcement in human rights, trafficking in persons, public oversight and the role of human rights commissions and agencies.  Additionally, our programs address gender-based and ethnic discrimination in areas as diverse as criminal justice and land rights.