Crisis management and effective cross-border management tools and mechanisms focus of Annual Meeting of OSCE National Focal Points on border security

Current trends and challenges in securing and managing borders were highlighted at the two-day 13th Annual Meeting of the OSCE Border Security and Management National Focal Points Network, which concluded on 10 April 2019 in Bratislava.

The event brought together more than 100 participants from across the OSCE area.

Organized by Slovakia's 2019 OSCE Chair and the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, this year’s meeting focused on crisis management at the borders, combating trafficking in human beings, gender mainstreaming in the security sector and effective cross-border management tools and mechanisms for the 21st century.

Opening the meeting were the Director of the Border and Foreign Police of the Slovak Republic, Ladislav Csémi; 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.

“We live in the era of growing human mobility when women and men, children and elderly people travel and cross borders more frequently than ever before. It is imperative to ensure that border security and management is carried out in ways that are effective, consistent and firm, yet flexible when needed,” said Csémi.

Ostrauskaite said: “To increase security in the OSCE area, it is vital to address the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings, which remains a major concern for the OSCE participating States. We have to promote and ensure gender equality in border services as this will increase its operational effectiveness.”

In discussions with experts from the Slovak Interior Ministry’s Crisis Management Directorate General, the International Organization for Migration, the Refugees Initiative Regional Centre and the OSCE’s Conflict Prevention Centre, the National Focal Points spoke about the level of preparedness for crises in their national services as well as the available mechanisms and tools addressing cross-border crises in the OSCE area.

With experts from Belgium, the OSCE Gender Section and Slovakia’s Interior Ministry, they explored the importance of women in border security, and looked at effective ways to include a gender perspective in border security and management and to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Furthermore, the OSCE’s National Focal Points on Border Security engaged in discussions on possible ways to optimize standard operating procedures to better prevent and combat human trafficking, and were provided with innovative training approaches to combat this crime.

The Focal Points also visited the Academy of the Police Force of Slovakia, where they were introduced to the technical means used by the country’s Border Police.