Best Practices in international co-operation on border security discussed at OSCE Border Management Staff College in Tajikistan

 

 

Participants from Central Asia and Afghanistan debate on the legal framework and the best practices in communication between border security-related agencies at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe, 12 May 2017 (OSCE BMSC/Ilona Kazaryan)

A training course on best practices in international co-operation on border security concluded on 12 May 2017 at the OSCE Border Management Staff College (BMSC) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

This five-day training course was organized in co-operation with the United States Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Programme and aimed to at capacity building in border and customs agencies of countries in Central Asia and Afghanistan. Twenty four mid- to senior-level officials from border and customs agencies from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan participated in the course.

“International co-operation on border security is a key factor in ensuring open and secure borders. This training course was conducted as part of the BMSC’s efforts to make a positive contribution to enhancing co-operation and communication through the elaboration and exchange of best practices in this area,” said Dita Nowicka, Director of the OSCE Border Management Staff College.

The topics covered during the training course included principles of border co-operation at the local, regional and international levels; best practices in preparing for negotiations and the role of partnerships between border delegates of national agencies who are assigned according to international agreements for maintaining effective border management, cross- border co-operation and resolving border-related incidents.

“An understanding of the legal framework and best practices in communication between border security-related agencies is imperative for effective co-operation between counterparts in the modern environment of ever-changing and constantly evolving cross-border threats,” said Inge Lindsaar, a leading expert in integrated border management of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board.

“The set-up of this training course allowed the participants to share their ideas freely and get feedback from the instructors on the spot. This approach, along with the hands-on experience shared during the event, means that the newly-gained knowledge will be easily applicable in our daily work,” said Akylbek Dzhumabekov, Senior Inspector at the Kyrgyz Government’s State Customs Service. He added that the training course was a good opportunity for the operational staff to learn more about the best communication methods used in international co-operation.