Secretariat - Action against Terrorism Unit

The travel documents programme

The programme began with a pilot workshop held last April 2003 in Ohrid, in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, with a second workshop planned for October in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The workshops aim to foster state-to-state co-operation and local problem-solving.

Recently, overall support for the ATU programme was bolstered by a considerable contribution from the United States Mission to the OSCE. The Mission announced on 5 September that it would provide $250,000 (220,000 euros) to the ATU in support of concrete activities, particularly its programme on travel document control.

Using presentations and working groups, participants assess the current state of cross-border and regional co-operation on travel documents. Then they identify priority areas requiring cross-border and/or regional co-operation. Participants are also encouraged to form a technical working group to continue as an informal network for information-sharing and technical assistance.

The travel documents programme supports the Bishkek Programme of Action and the Bucharest Plan of Action, both of which initiate practical measures aimed at preventing and countering terrorism.

The two workshops were made possible by generous contributions from the US and German governments. "The contributions by the US and German governments are timely and will prove key to the development of the ATU programme and the OSCE's fight against terrorism," said Ambassador Jan Kubis, OSCE Secretary General.

Ohrid workshop stresses regional co-operation

The ATU, the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje and the Ministry of Interior co-organized the three-day Ohrid workshop. Participants included 24 senior governmental officials from nine OSCE participating States in South-eastern Europe, as well as three international experts from the Netherlands and the US Embassy in Vienna.

At the workshop, participants emphasized the need for increased cross-border co-operation at the regional level in areas such as training, information- and intelligence-sharing, and joint operations - including joint patrolling. They also noted the need for improved information flow at the national level.
Perhaps most importantly, participants expressed their willingness to develop more bilateral and multilateral agreements on co-operation related to travel documents.

Focus turns to Central Asia

With Central Asia's borders coming under the spotlight in the fight against terrorism, the ATU has joined with the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Interior to host the next workshop in Bishkek from 9 to 11 October.

This workshop aims to allow Central Asian government officials, and international experts on travel documents and terrorism, to exchange information and discuss shared problems. Participants will compile a list of lessons learned and identify areas where bilateral and regional co-operation would be particularly helpful.

"Co-operation across borders and between the key institutional players is fundamental to improving travel document control," said Brian Woo, Head of the ATU. "The value of these workshops is that they provide the forum with much-needed technical assessment and exchange in a world of limited resources."

The Action against Terrorism Unit

The ATU was created in 2002 as a focal point for action against terrorism carried out by OSCE bodies, institutions and field missions. It responds to requests for assistance from OSCE participating States and delivers practical assistance and guidance to field activities.