UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Published purpose

This Project is one element of a program to build the forensic capability of the Palestinian justice system. In particular, the project seeks to develop the capacity of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to manage, utilize and sustain the system of forensic science and medicine services through improved institutional structure and governance. The project assists the ministries of Justice and of the Interior and the Palestinian Civil Police to develop appropriate organizational and governance structures, including providing leadership in developing and implementing strategic plans, quality assurance systems, defining roles and responsibilities, and ensuring the transparency of forensic results. The project provides training and mentoring to trainees in basic laboratory procedures, drug and physical trace examination, counterfeits and altered documents, firearms and tool mark identification. In the area of forensic medicine, the project aims to the number of fully trained specialist forensic physicians, at the same time as putting in place an education and training system in local universities to sustain the forensic medicine service in the future. A key feature of the project is the expansion of clinical forensic medicine services to deal with sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence cases.