OSCE and UNOCT events support States in responsibly using passenger data to identify and detect terrorists and serious criminals

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) organized a series of two events from 27 to 29 October 2021 focused on supporting States in implementing passenger data programmes, enhancing coordination between participating States, international organizations and private sector companies, and deepening regional cooperative partnerships.

From 27 to 28 October, the inaugural meeting of the Eastern Europe Informal Working Group (EEIWG) on Passenger Data established a new platform that aims at: facilitating discussions for sharing good practices and lessons learned and methodologies in data collection from travelers; as well as security analysis across different travel modes of travel. The meeting also laid the foundation for future events related to the working group, which will be driven by participating States in coordination support with the OSCE.

Nominations for the annual Chair and Vice-Chair positions were finalized during the EEIWG meeting. The Republic of Kyrgyzstan accepted the nomination by the group to be the first Chair, and the Vice-Chair positions will be assumed by delegates from Albania, Georgia, Mongolia and Montenegro. The development of informal working groups at the regional level will support the United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel Programme’s initiative to establish regional informal working groups in Eastern Europe as well as Western Africa, Southern Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

“Our aim with the Countering Terrorist Travel Programme is to provide tailored, yet comprehensive support to States across four key pillars of work: legal, operational, carrier engagement, and technical, in accordance with international standards, fundamental freedoms and human rights, and relevant privacy laws,” said Christine Bradley, Chief of the Countering Terrorist Travel Section within UNOCT.

Held online and in-person, the second event, the 5^th OSCE-wide Seminar on Passenger Data Exchange, brought together more than 250 passenger data experts from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, international organizations, private sector and other global border management partners. They discussed new means for cooperation on the implementation of passenger data programmes; good practices in legislation, operations and security analysis; and future use of passenger data systems in maritime environments.

“Considering the continuing threat posed by the movement of terrorist fighters into and through the OSCE region, the rapid advances in technology, and the expansion in the use of advanced passenger data for new travel modes, this seminar remains a critical platform for sharing new ideas, good practices and discussing emerging challenges. To meet these challenges, we must work towards building deeper cooperative partnerships in border management,” said Alena Kupchyna, OSCE Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats.

The seminar also examined the technical assistance needs of States for implementing United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 2178, 2396, and 2482. These resolutions mandate States to adopt and use Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) for identifying and detecting terrorists and serious criminals in accordance with international law and human rights principles.

Experts from participating States and international organizations also presented on how, in addition to data collected from air passengers, maritime passenger data can be used to provide a broader risk assessment of the threats facing a country. Additional presentations focused on the collection of personal data in the context of migration, human rights and freedom of movement.

The seminar also included a networking session for experts and a mini trade show featuring IT services and API/PNR analysis systems available from various providers.