OSCE helps Tajik Border Troops officials strengthen efforts to combat illicit trafficking of weapons, ammunition and explosives

From 1 to 5 June, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe hosted a training course on “Combatting Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), Ammunition and Explosives for Border Services”, based on the FRONTEX manual.

The course was organized by the Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre in collaboration with experts from FRONTEX, INTERPOL, UNODC, the German Bundeswehr Verification Centre and a representative of the National Mobile Training Team of Uzbekistan

Twenty border officials from headquarters, operational branches, and border checkpoints of the Border Troops under the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan attended the course. Participants enhanced understanding of their roles in identifying sources and proliferation of illicit SALW, as well as in combating illicit trafficking of SALW, ammunition, and explosives in the field. 

The course also provided participants with practical knowledge of international legal frameworks and regulations. Officers exchanged experiences, examined current challenges related to illicit trafficking, and explored international good practices in SALW control. The training course enabled officers to assess how these approaches could be integrated into their daily work to strengthen border security and counter transnational threats.

“Effectively countering the illicit trafficking of weapons and ammunition is not a task that any single institution can accomplish alone. It requires close co-operation among national authorities, as well as with international partners who bring complementary expertise, tools, and experience.” said Ambassador Salome Steib, the Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.

As part of the initiative, the OSCE donated 150 copies of the FRONTEX guidebook on SALW translated into the Tajik language.

The course was conducted as part of the extrabudgetary project “Strengthening the Resilience of Uzbekistan to Address Cross-border Challenges Emanating from Afghanistan”, funded by Sweden, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Finland, and the United States of America.