The OSCE Border Management Staff College concluded its second four-week course overseas
On September 9, 2022, the OSCE Border Management Staff College (BMSC) concluded a four-week Staff Course in Vienna, Austria. The enterprise represented the 33rd such offering conducted by the College since its founding in 2009 and the second held outside its home campus in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Twenty-seven student representatives of customs, border, immigration, drug control, and training institutes attended from 12 countries. Representatives from Albania, Egypt, Georgia, Italy, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkiye, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan successfully completed the training session.
The Staff Course emphasizes capacity building and promotes high standards in border management and security. The curriculum includes an extensive array of topics inclusive of all three OSCE dimensions of security. The training also provides participants with a platform for dialogue and the sharing of best practices and expertise in their respective fields.
Reflecting on his experience with the BMSC, Giampiero Romagnoli, a graduate from Milano Malpensa International Airport of Italy, noted: “Involvement in such training seems overwhelming at the beginning of the journey due to its diversity and richness. However, as we approach the end of the course, we realize the importance of sharing knowledge and expertise, the feeling of being part of a greater world, and the commitment to perform our work at the highest levels. The knowledge gained and the interaction with our fellow counterparts from different countries are the best memories one can bring back, as friendship and people are not just memories, but real-life experiences.”
Oksana Mykhalyshyna, another graduate from the Border Guard Service of Ukraine, added that the sessions on combatting illegal migration and terrorism, leadership, and conflict management were of great relevance. In addition, in light of the recent events in Ukraine, topics related to refugees, and the risks associated with trafficking in human beings covered by subject matter experts, were very rewarding.
Grigori Strijac, representing the Border Protection Department of Border Police of Moldova, noted that he was lucky to take part in the Course. Of all the training programs attended in recent years, the Staff Course has been challenging and intense. He further stated that he would apply the knowledge and the expertise he obtained during the Course in his daily professional responsibilities.
Topics covered during the four-week training included the promotion of border security and management in the OSCE area, border security and management models, elements of border control and cooperation, as well as economic, environmental, and human aspects of border security. Alongside the studies, this group of participants had the opportunity to develop research papers related to and covering OSCE’s three dimensions of security.
Finally, a roundtable discussion on “Gender sensitive approaches for border management in times of crisis and conflicts” was also conducted in the framework of the course. The event brought together subject area experts, representatives of diplomatic missions, the OSCE delegations in Vienna, international organizations, and participants of the 33rd Staff Course.