Finland to Support UNODC Piracy Prisoner Transfer Programme
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland has granted Euro 190 000 for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Piracy Prisoner Transfer Programme (PPTP).
The main aim of the programme is to construct a new prison in Garowe, Puntland. The 500 bed prison will be mainly used for housing convicted Somali pirates. The prison will be constructed, mentored and monitored to ensure that it meets minimum international standards.
One of the main reasons for Finland to fund the PPTP is to assist in strengthening the rule of law in Puntland through support for the country’s capacity to fight serious crime, and to bring pirates into justice. This in turn helps with the development of a constitutional state, economically and socially sustainable development, as well as resolving crises.
Currently the biggest challenge with bringing pirates to justice in Somalia, and the states in the area, is the lack of prison capacity.
The PPTP is a part of the UNODC Counter Piracy Programme Strategy, which has already progressed considerably in Kenya and Seychelles. The PPTP will specifically address the objective of having humane and secure imprisonment in Somalia.
The UN standards for prisoner care have noted the positive outcomes of prisoners serving prison sentences in their home countries, instead of regional countries, as it helps with social reintegration and with meeting humanitarian needs.
Finland will support the programme in 2011. The aid will be used towards construction costs of the prison, and the procurement of necessary equipment and vehicles. The programme will officially start in September 2011. The prison is meant to be in use within one and a half years of starting the construction.