The training aimed at preparing trainers was attended by staff of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan, judges of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, staff of Law Enforcement Academy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, staff and investigators of the Prosecutor’s Office of Samarkand Region, judges of criminal courts in Samarkand Region, as well as social sector workers.

The training was dedicated to the topic “Conducting investigative interviews of minors within the ‘Barnahus’ system in the Republic of Uzbekistan”. The main objective of the event was to effectively introduce the “Barnahus” model, recognized as an advanced international standard for the protection of children’s rights, into national practice, as well as to enhance specialists’ professional skills in ensuring the psychological safety of minors during interviews and preventing their retraumatization and secondary victimization.

The training sessions covered international standards and national legislation requirements concerning the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of minor victims and witnesses. The sessions also addressed children’s rights and child-friendly justice, psychological preparation of minor victims and witnesses for procedural actions, and the specific aspects of interviewing them.

Based on practical cases, participants studied the fundamentals of the NICHD-R protocol and the typology of questions contained therein, communication psychology for investigators and judges working with children, and methods for creating a pressure-free environment. The procedure for conducting interviews based on the NICHD-R protocol was demonstrated, and issues concerning the use of interactive and modern approaches in training professionals within the “Barnahus” system were also considered.

At the end of the training, participants were awarded certificates in accordance with the established procedure.