EGPA Conference 2026 Amsterdam and World Pride canal parade
Police officers from across Europe and North America gathered in Amsterdam for the EGPA Conference 2026, a two-day event built around learning, exchange and visible support for LGBTQ+ communities during World Pride.
The conference brought together police officers, representatives from LGBT Police organisations, European institutions, government ministries and partner organisations. Across speeches, workshops and shared inputs, the event focused on trust, inclusion and practical cooperation between police services. It also stood out for its atmosphere, with attendees describing it as one of the friendliest conferences.
Officers gathered for two days of shared learning
The programme gave officers space to compare experience from different countries, legal systems and policing cultures. That exchange matters because LGBTQ+ communities do not experience policing in only one way. Trust can be strong in one place and fragile in another. Laws, reporting systems and community relationships vary widely.
Sessions included contributions from police forces, EGPA member organisations, European institutions and government ministries. The mix helped connect daily policing with wider policy questions, such as hate crime reporting, victim support, recruitment, training and internal staff networks.
Workshops gave participants room to discuss practical issues in smaller groups. These covered the kind of questions that shape real public confidence:
How should police respond when victims do not feel safe reporting hate crime?
What training helps officers recognise anti-LGBTQ+ abuse?
How can police services support LGBTQ+ staff as well as the wider public?
What can forces learn from community liaison models used elsewhere?
The value of the conference sat in those direct conversations. Officers could compare what works, where gaps remain and how different forces build relationships with the communities they serve.
A conference remembered for its welcome
EGPA Conference 2026 Amsterdam was, like all EGPA conferences, welcoming and friendly. The mood was open, warm and highly engaged, providing a safe space for honest discussion without losing the sense of common purpose. EGPA conferences are organised by our member organisations and for Amsterdam 2026 that meant Roze in Blauw. The Dutch police organisers did an amazing job!
The international mix also gave the event a wider reach. Officers from across Europe and North America brought different perspectives, including experience from city forces, national services and specialist equality or community engagement roles.
World Pride gave the event a public stage
The conference was closely linked to World Pride in Amsterdam, which gave the conference a wider public meaning. Delegates not only participated in the conference, they also took part in the canal parade, joining one of the city’s most recognisable public celebrations.
Amsterdam’s canal parade is known for turning the city’s waterways into a route for celebration, remembrance and visibility. For police officers attending EGPA Conference 2026, joining the parade showed support in a direct and public way.
That participation carried a clear message. Policing and Pride have a complex history in many countries. Public trust has not always been present, and some LGBTQ+ people still feel unsure about contacting police. Visible participation by officers does not solve those concerns on its own, but it can form part of a longer effort to build confidence.
The sight of police officers taking part in World Pride watched by hundreds of thousands from across the world, reinforces the commitment of EGPA to bring policing closer to the LGBTQ+ citizens. Equality work is not limited to internal policy documents. It includes public engagement, staff networks, community partnerships and open recognition that LGBTQ+ safety requires our ongoing attention.
Pride, policing and the work still ahead
The EGPA Conference 2026 Amsterdam showed how professional learning and public participation can sit side by side. The workshops gave officers tools and contacts. The canal parade gave the gathering a shared public moment.
Still, the work does not end with a conference or a parade. For police services, lasting progress depends on what happens after delegates return home. That means better training, clearer reporting routes, stronger staff support and continued dialogue with LGBTQ+ communities.
It also means recognising that inclusion must be practical. A welcoming statement matters less if victims do not know how to report abuse. A policy has limited value if frontline officers do not understand it. A public parade appearance has more weight when it connects to daily service standards.
A clear message from Amsterdam
EGPA Conference 2026 brought officers together for serious discussion, practical learning and shared public visibility during World Pride. Its strength came from that combination. It reflected the EGPA approach of inclusion through supporting diversity and embracing a welcoming, safe and friendly environment.
The event showed that police cooperation on LGBTQ+ issues is so much more than just a policy decision. It is also about relationships, trust and the willingness to learn from others. Amsterdam gave officers a place to build those links, and the canal parade gave the message a visible route for the kind of policing we aim for.
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