Summary: March 8, 2005: Comments by Javier Solana following Decision on EU Integrated Rule of Law Mission for Iraq (EUJUST LEX) and Appointment of Head of Mission (Brussels)
Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), announced today the appointment of Mr. Stephen White as the Head of the EU Integrated Rule of Law Mission for Iraq (EUJUST - LEX). The appointment follows the endorsement by the EU's Political and Security Committee (PSC) of a proposal by High Representative Javier Solana.
On this occasion, Javier Solana made the following comments:
"I would like to congratulate Mr Stephen White for his appointment and wish him success in his very challenging task. Mr White is a highly experienced police officer. In this task, he will have my full support and that of the European Union as a whole. EUJUST LEX demonstrates the EU's commitment to a secure, stable, unified, prosperous and democratic Iraq that will make a positive contribution to the stability of the region".
On 7 March 2005 the EU Council adopted a Joint Action on the EU Integrated Rule of Law mission for Iraq (EUJUST LEX). A political agreement on the mission had been reached by the Council on 21 February 2005.
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EUJUST LEX follows an invitation by the Iraqi authorities and aims at addressing the urgent needs in the Iraqi criminal justice system through providing training for high and mid level officials in senior management and criminal investigation. It will promote closer collaboration between the different actors across the Iraqi criminal justice system and strengthen the management capacity of senior and high-potential officials primarily from the police, judiciary and penitentiary. The training
activities will take place in the EU or in the region. EUJUST LEX will have a Coordinating Office in Brussels and a Liaison Office in Baghdad. Training facilities and trainers will provided by the EU Member States. The operational phase of the Mission will begin no later than 1 July 2005. It is expected to cover an initial period of 12 months. The amount intended to cover the expenditure related to the common costs of the mission will be EUR 10 million (EU budget). In addition, EU Member States
will contribute training courses and trainers.
Encl:
- CV of Mr Stephen White
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Stephen White
Head of Mission, EUJUST LEX, European Union Rule of Law Mission in Iraq
Stephen White is a 50-year-old former UK police officer. He is from Northern Ireland and reached the rank of Assistant Chief Constable before retiring from the Police Service of Northern Ireland in September 2004. His final posting was Head of the UK's Senior Police Leadership Development Programme based at the British National Police College, Bramshill, England.
Since his retirement he has been providing training and consultancy to a number of agencies in the UK and abroad. During December 2004 and January 2005 he was the senior police expert on the EU's "Iraq Expert Team" and recommended support to the rule of law in Iraq by Member States training senior Iraqi judges, police commanders and prison governors.
Some of his key posts in the Northern Ireland police included: operational command at all ranks; director of recruit training; head of community affairs; and programme director of the change management team. As an operational regional commander he presided over border security, counter terrorist and organised crime activities.
He has assisted police development programmes in several countries. During 1999 to 2002 he helped design and oversee major police reform programmes. From July 2003 to January 2004 he worked in Iraq as the Director of Law and Order and Senior Police Adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority, based in Basra. He was responsible for establishing Southern Iraq's regional police training academy and oversaw a range of reconstruction efforts in the criminal justice sector.
In Her Majesty the Queen's Birthday Honours List June 2004 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to policing.
He is the holder of two Masters degrees - one in applied criminology from Cambridge University and the other in organisational development from Queen's University, Belfast.
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