Senior border officials from 14 countries receive OSCE training

DUSHANBE, 3 June 2013 – The 8th Staff Course for senior border officials opened today at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe.

Twenty-three senior and mid-level officers from border guard, customs and drug control agencies in Algeria, Afghanistan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mongolia, Morocco, Poland, Tajikistan and Tunisia will participate in a one-month comprehensive border security and management course.

“This class is a melting pot of expertise from 14 countries. It paves the way for future co-operation between these officials who guard our borders. I believe this experience, coupled with knowledge of visiting experts, will help participants to better address evolving transnational threats that are now global,” said Julia Klaus, Director of the OSCE Border Management Staff College.

Composed of six overarching modules that present the OSCE's comprehensive approach to effective border security and management, the programme focuses on the principles and standards of the OSCE Border Security and Management Concept, covering the three dimensions of comprehensive security, including the political-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects.

Each of the modules reflects relevant best practices and lessons identified and focuses on promoting border security and management in the OSCE area; border security and management models; elements of border controls and co-operation; economic and environmental factors of  border security and management; the human dimension of border security and management; and organizational management and leadership.

During the Staff Course, participants will visit the Tajik-Uzbek and Tajik-Afghan customs and border protection checkpoints.