TNTD/Borders Unit

On 28-29 November, the TNTD/ATU and the CiB co-organized a seminar on countering VERLT for the Southern Provinces of Kyrgyzstan in Osh, bringing together 60 national and international experts to conceptualize the threat of VERLT, factors conducive, and how to effectively counter it from a multi-dimensional perspective. The seminar was a follow-up to a National Seminar on Countering VERLT in Bishkek held in May 2012. Non-governmental experts from Germany and the United Kingdom as well as governmental experts from Spain and Turkey shared their experience with a multi-stakeholder audience from the South of Kyrgyzstan. A UNCTED representative presented and moderated during the seminar, which was also attended by the CIS-ATC and UNRCCA. The seminar discussed the role of different actors, emphasizing the need to rely on different measures to tackle violent and non-violent extremism to uphold freedom of belief, expression, the media and association.

Participants identified that public perception(s) of policies and actions of state authorities had particular bearing on the potential for increased radicalization and the willingness of civil society organizations to engage in preventive efforts. The seminar concluded with a discussion on possible next steps for Kyrgyzstan, in particular for the South of the country.

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2.4 TNTD/Borders Unit

Background

The TNTD/BU is the primary point of contact in the Secretariat for all border security and management related issues. The TNTD/BU is responsible for co-ordinating the OSCE’s response to requests from participating States on this subject and maintaining the OSCE Border Security and Management National Focal Point (NFP) Network.

In 2012, five permanent staff of the TNTD/BU were involved in activities to address crime-related issues, directly focusing on capacity building activities concerned with trafficking in drugs, human beings and goods, licensing and control of exported small arms and light weapons, and other major cross-border crimes relevant to the border security and management of OSCE participating States. In addition, the Unit undertook efforts to support

co-ordination of OSCE activities in the field of cross-border co-operation and countering organized crime.

Border Management Staff College

Throughout 2012, the TNTD/BU consistently supported diverse capacity building training events within the BMSC in Dushanbe by providing thematic input and serving as instructors.

Three four-week staff courses, addressing mid-level and senior management from border security and management agencies, had priority and were successfully delivered. An additional 24 courses were conducted for border officials on law enforcement-related border activities and duties. During 2012, a total of 592 attendees, including officials from participating States and Partners for Co-operation, were hosted by the BMSC.

Trafficking in Human Beings

Migration and readmission issues and trafficking/smuggling of human beings were addressed during the Annual Meeting of the OSCE Border Security and Management National Focal Point Network and through discussions by members of the Network. The discussions resulted in the development of a formal working group on trafficking in human beings that was planned to be facilitated by the TNTD/BU in 2013.

Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons

The TNTD/BU, in conjunction with the FSC Support Section (FSC/SS) in the OSCE Secretariat, delivered a series of regional workshops that brought together officials from the customs agencies and national export licensing authorities of participating States and Partners for Co-operation. The workshops focused on the legal and illegal movement of weapons and dual-use goods and compliance with UNSCR 1540, among other issues.

During the 2012 Annual NFP Network Meeting INTERPOL introduced its new database on tracing illicit arms – iARMS – to the participants. Participants were provided with an opportunity to exchange opinions on weapons tracing tools and present their national experiences on INTERPOL and iARMS. The TNTD/BU and FSC/SS planned to follow up with further activities on the tracing of illicit weapons during 2013.

Anti-Corruption

The TNTD/BU, in co-operation with experts from participating States, developed a course on anti-corruption based on input from experts of the participating States during a workshop under the NFP Network in 2011. A pilot course, hosted at the BMSC, was successfully delivered in November 2012 by an OSCE expert. The BMSC has incorporated the course into its standard offerings and planned to conduct it twice in 2013.

In co-ordination with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the Mission to Moldova, the TNTD/BU and the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) in Ukraine and Moldova conducted meetings of the working group of selected representatives of the Border Services of the two countries, including Customs Administrations, in order to develop a curriculum on preventing and countering corruption. The TNTD/BU facilitated these meetings with the provision of subject matter experts from participating States to assist with developing the curriculum and tailoring the modules to the respective national structures.

Other

During the course of the year, the TNTD/BU continued to support the second phase of

“Patrolling and Surveillance Training” for Tajik Border Troops on techniques and tactics to detect and interdict organized illegal cross-border movements. During this phase, the training included participants from the Afghan Border Police. Some courses were conducted jointly with the Tajiks and other courses were held specifically for the Afghans.

In conjunction with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, the TNTD/Customs Adviser served as an instructor for a maritime port security course in Turkmenbashy, Turkmenistan. The course was conducted at the end of 2012 and brought together agencies, such as Coast Guard, Navy, Customs, Police and Port Authorities. In addition, the TNTD/BU supported a complementary effort by the Centre in Ashgabat where officials from the four OSCE littoral states of the Caspian Sea came together to meet each other and to share experiences and discuss issues in the Caspian Basin.