Forum on humanitarian protection in cross-border emergencies held at OSCE Border Management Staff College
An international forum on border management in humanitarian emergencies was held at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe from 24 to 28 September 2012. It was co-organized with the Tokyo-based UNHCR Regional Centre for Emergency Management.
This high-level forum brought together senior immigration, emergency response and border officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. They discussed border management issues in the context of large-scale movements of people, whether caused by armed conflict, mass-scale human rights violations or natural disasters. Practical work to improve preparedness for large-scale emergencies, as well as international laws, norms and principles for protecting refugees, asylum seekers and others affected by humanitarian crises were discussed.
“Maintaining effective border management controls while ensuring that people who need humanitarian protection receive it is a highly complex challenge for governments and the international community,” said Ambassador Ivar Vikki, the Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan. “This forum gave participants a unique opportunity to discuss these challenges and jointly identify workable approaches for addressing them.”
Saber Azam, UNHCR Regional Representative and Co-ordinator for Central Asia, said: “An array of factors could lead to cross-border displacement in Central Asia and, potentially, the mass influx of populations with diverse needs and characteristics. This initiative supports ongoing efforts to prepare for and respond to humanitarian emergencies, further strengthening collaboration and mutual understanding between Central Asian States, UNHCR, the OSCE and other partners in the region.”
Deputy Interior Minister of Tajikistan Saidkhon Jurakhonov said: “In a time of globalization, transnational movement and irregular migration, the threat of a spread in extremism, terrorism and illegal migration rises. As a result of this, regional governments must be better prepared to address all possible challenges. We need to consolidate our efforts in building a proper mechanism for managing mixed migration flows, while protecting human rights and the rights of vulnerable groups.”