OSCE Border Management Staff College hosts UNECE Seminar on International Transport of Goods
(L-r) Senior governmental officials of the Customs Administration, Alijon Aliev of Tajikistan and Ali Valiyev of Azerbaijan during a Regional seminar on the Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets organized by the OSCE Border Management Staff College and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Dushanbe, 22 May 2015. (OSCE/Ilona Kazaryan)
DUSHANBE, 22 May 2015 – A week-long Regional Seminar on the Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention, 1975) organized by the OSCE Border Management Staff College and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) concluded today in Dushanbe.
The TIR Convention, concluded in Geneva in 1975 under the auspices of the United Nations, aims to facilitate as far as possible international trade by road or container through the use of a single customs document (the TIR carnet) and a minimum of formalities when crossing frontiers. The Convention is currently the only global customs transit regime and a unique international transport and trade facilitation tool.
The main objective of the seminar, conducted in close co-operation with the Customs Administration of Tajikistan, was to analyse the current status of implementation of the Convention as well as its outlook for the future. Customs fraud prevention, risk management, controlled access to the TIR regime, and the inquiry procedures were among the specific issues addressed in the seminar.
Senior governmental officials responsible for the policies in the field of customs and trade from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkey exchanged views, participated in group work and shared hands-on experience. The seminar was complemented with a one-day visit to a customs checkpoint at the Tajik-Uzbek border where participants observed and discussed the TIR system in place.
“The knowledge provided in the course of workshop supports our colleagues in further boosting the idea of a regional network of TIR experts among the Contracting Parties and to increase awareness on implementation of the TIR Convention,” said Flemming Hansen Splidsboel, Acting Director of the OSCE Border Management Staff College.
Erik Willems, Customs Expert at UNECE said: “This seminar addressed detailed technical aspects of applying the TIR procedure. It demonstrated the benefits of the TIR Convention. With country representatives from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkey we had an opportunity to discuss in detail the relevant customs affairs. Partners from the private sector and the transport industry also provided their invaluable contributions.”