Training Program concludes: Building a core team of trainers on the Méndez Principles in Vietnam
WVR - After three days of implementation from September 22-24, the training program for core trainers on the implementation of the Méndez Principles in Vietnam has concluded. The training equipped delegates with foundational knowledge and skills on effective interrogation methods based on scientific, legal, and professional ethics.
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| Overview of the training session on implementing the Méndez Principles. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
The program focused on introducing the content, objectives, scope of application, and the six principles of the Méndez Principles; it also clarified their alignment with Vietnamese law and Vietnam's obligations under the United Nations Convention against Torture. Delegates were guided through the interrogation process step-by-step, from preparation, building cooperation, questioning, active listening to evaluating and analyzing collected information.
Speaking with The World & Vietnam Report, Ms. Phan Thi Lan Huong, Head of International Cooperation, Hanoi Law University, and the training instructor, stated that adopting the Méndez Principles not only affirms Vietnam's commitments to combating torture, coercion, and abuse but more importantly, focuses on practical implementation.
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| Ms. Phan Thi Lan Huong, Head of International Cooperation, Hanoi Law University, instructing the training session. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
According to Ms. Phan Thi Lan Huong, the Méndez Principles set specific requirements for the entire interrogation process, from preparation and planning to conducting interviews, evaluating, and verifying information. Statements are only valuable when collected in accordance with legal regulations and procedures. Therefore, the skills of investigators play a crucial role, including the ability to build relationships and trust with interviewees, thereby ensuring information is collected objectively.
“When the public trusts that investigative agencies and officers collect information objectively, it also contributes to building trust in Vietnam's legal system,” Ms. Phan Thi Lan Huong emphasized.
Three priorities to promote the implementation of the Méndez Principles
As the direct instructor of the training session, Dr. Victor Zaharia, a member of the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, emphasised that in the next phase, Vietnam needs to focus on three priorities to promote the application of the Méndez Principles.
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| Dr. Victor Zaharia, a member of the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, outlines three priorities to promote the application of the Méndez Principles. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
Firstly, it is essential to complete and ensure the implementation of the legal framework. According to him, the principles need to be appropriately reflected in the national legal system, where Vietnam already has many related regulations.
Secondly, it is crucial to bring legal regulations into practice. The application of the Méndez Principles should not stop at building regulations but must be integrated into daily information-gathering activities.
Thirdly, there should be a focus on human resource training. Each investigator and those involved in the information-gathering process need to understand the Méndez Principles and be able to apply these principles in their professional work.
Dr. Victor Zaharia believes that applying the Méndez Principles not only helps ensure the legal rights and interests of suspects or interview participants but also enhances the effectiveness of professional activities. Accordingly, investigators can gather more reliable information, thereby better serving their duties.
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| Dr. Victor Zaharia with delegates practicing interrogation at the training session. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
At the judicial system level, collecting information in accordance with the law, including evidence and related information, will help ensure that the litigation process is built on reliable information.
Simultaneously, these principles also contribute to protecting the rights and interests of suspects or interview participants as stipulated by law. In the long run, effectively implementing the Méndez Principles can help strengthen public trust in the authorities, as these agencies perform their duties more effectively and in line with legal and ethical requirements.
Implementing the Méndez Principles in investigative interviews in Vietnam
Besides professional skills, delegates learned about responsibilities in implementation, record-keeping, monitoring, handling complaints, and remedial measures and compensation. The final day of the training focused on adult teaching methods, as well as organizing discussions and feedback to improve training materials and methods.
Through this, the program lays the foundation for forming a core team of trainers, contributing to the continued dissemination and guidance on implementing the Méndez Principles in investigative and information-gathering activities in Vietnam.
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| According to Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Duy Hiep, the training session helps delegates enhance their thinking and skills in conducting interrogations. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Hoang Duy Hiep, working at the Faculty of Law, People's Security Academy, and a participant in the training session, stated that before joining the program, he had specialized research on interrogation and the authority over individuals related to cases.
However, after the training, he found that he had improved his thinking and skills in conducting interrogations. The program equipped him with many practical skills, from approaching interviewees, planning, communication to techniques for asking closed and open-ended questions.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Duy Hiep, the Méndez Principles help investigators conduct interrogations more harmoniously, reasonably, and scientifically, while complying with the law and ensuring human rights.
