OSCE organizes intensive border management training for OSCE Mediterranean Points of Contact Network

Members of the OSCE Mediterranean Points of Contact Network on border management and security completed a four-day intensive training course on various topics related to their work on 22 December 2017 in Vienna.

Organized by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, the interactive course brought together members of the Network, which was created earlier this year. Together with OSCE experts, representatives of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Asia Pacific Foundation facilitated the course.

The participants, who came from Algeria, Jordan and Morocco, learnt about the international counter-terrorism legal framework to prevent threats posed by foreign terrorist fighters and engaged in active discussions on the evolving threats posed by these individuals in the Mediterranean region.  

They noted the importance of women in the field of border security, discussed how to interact with victims of human trafficking, and shared experiences and good practices on implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Experts from the OSCE Border Security and Management Unit gave in-depth presentations on Advance Passenger Information (API) systems and Risk Analysis and Management in Border Security.  

Two-and-a-half days of practical training on Travel Document Security were provided by experts from Austria’s Interior Ministry. They led a study visit to Vienna International Airport to examine its border control as well as the latest document detection technology and current counterfeit cases.

This training course was the third activity of a multi-year OSCE initiative aimed at strengthening co-operation mechanisms between the border security and management agencies of the OSCE participating States and the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation.