Rampling meets Othman: Strong partnership with Lebanese police
Our partnership with the ISF is a core element of our work for over ten years, and we are impressed with the ambition and progress they have made.
British Ambassador Rampling with DG of the Internal Security Forces Major General Othman
On his first official Strategic Project Management Committee (SPMC) meeting with the Director General of the ISF Major General Imad Osman, Ambassador Chris Rampling discussed the British Policing Support Project (BPSP) now in its third year of implementation.
The Strategic Project Management Committee is chaired by Major General Imad Osman and Ambassador Rampling in the presence of Head of ISF Academy General Ahmad Hajjar, Inspector General Joseph Kallas , Head of Beirut Police General Mohamad Ayoubi, Head of Mobile Forces General Fouad Khoury, and aims to ensure effective strategic governance and oversight of the project implementation.
Ambassador Chris Rampling highlighted how UK is supporting the ISF to implement and govern its Strategic Plan 2018-2022, launched in Rome II, which represented a major milestone to the institution and to Lebanon that responds to the security needs of the country.
Ambassador Rampling also congratulated the ISF for having the Training Academy recognised by the Institute for Leadership and Management (ILM) as a centre for leadership development and two of its leadership courses are accredited.
Major General Osman and Ambassador Rampling discussed the ISF’s community policing strategy and the roll out of the community policing model to the first Territorial Company, Raouche and Ramleh El Bayda Police Stations, which are scheduled to become operational next month. By January, 4 police stations will be better equipped to deliver policing services in Beirut and gain the trust of the Lebanese; Raouche, Ramle, Ras Beirut and Ashrafieh (funded by the US)
After the meeting, Ambassador Rampling said:
This was a very successful first SPMC with Major General Osman to discuss our continued support to the Internal Security Forces’s plans and reform. Our partnership with the ISF is a core element of our work here. We have been working closely with the ISF for over ten years, and are impressed with the ambition and progress it has made towards becoming a modern, professional and accountable police force that has the trust of the community it serves. I am delighted to recognise that the roll out of community policing has covered third of Beirut which allows the ISF to demonstrate a higher level of professionalism and engagement with the community. This partnership will remain important to the United Kingdom in the years ahead and we remain committed to our joint endeavour.