Illicit trafficking of cultural property and gender mainstreaming focus of annual meeting of OSCE National Focal Points on Border Security

VIENNA, 12 April 2018 – Current trends and challenges in securing and managing borders were highlighted at the two-day 12th Annual Meeting of the OSCE Border Security and Management National Focal Points Network, which opened today in Vienna, gathering more than 60 participants from across the OSCE region.

Organized by Italy's 2018 OSCE Chair and the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, this year’s meeting focuses on the illicit trafficking in cultural property, gender mainstreaming and cross-border corruption.

Opening the meeting was the Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy to the OSCE and Ambassador Luca Fratini of the OSCE 2018 Chair, Co-ordinator of OSCE Activities to Address Transnational Threats Rasa Ostrauskaite, and Head of the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department Dennis Cosgrove.

The participants will later engage in discussions with experts from Italy’s Carabinieri, the British School at Rome and Austria’s International Council of Museums on how to address illicit trafficking in cultural property. Part of the meeting programme includes a study visit to the History of Art Museum of Vienna where the focal points will learn about the protection of cultural heritage work done by Austria’s International Council of Museums.

They will also explore the importance of women in the field of border security and, together with experts from Belgium, the OSCE Gender Section and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), look at how to effectively mainstream a gender perspective in border security and management and to implement the Women, peace and security agenda.

To conclude, the focal points jointly with experts from the CEELI Institute, the FBI and Italy’s Public Prosecutor's Office will address the investigative and prosecutorial techniques to combat corruption of a cross-border nature.

The national focal points will also exchange experiences with experts from DCAF, Frontex, NATO, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the WCO on the evolving cross-border threats and challenges to border security and management in the OSCE area.