OSCE-supported Afghan customs training course project completed in Kyrgyzstan

The OSCE Centre in Bishkek, in co-operation with the Kyrgyz and Afghan Customs Services, has completed on 29 May 2015 the 10th and final customs training-course at the Kyrgyz Customs Training Centre.

The 2013-2015 training programme involved some 150 Afghan Customs Officers. The recent course was conducted for eleven Afghan officers in Leninskoe village, near Bishkek city, and aimed at enhancing their professional knowledge on customs procedures.

“The training course was successful and sustainable only because it was a joint effort of the OSCE, Kyrgyz State Customs Service, Kyrgyz Foreign Affairs Ministry , Afghan National Customs Academy and Afghan Customs Department; all of whom joined together to make the second phase of this project successful,” stated Saltanat Alibekova, OSCE Centre in Bishkek Project Manager of the “Capacity Building of the Kyrgyz and Afghan Customs officers” project.

The training included identifying and detecting narcotics, risk analysis, examining cargo containers and trailers; analyzing cargo documents, scanner use and image analysis as well as legal codification and customs intelligence techniques. Some training courses were focused on train-the-trainer methodology and capacity building.

The OSCE will continue supporting the Centre. Future courses will focus on the revised legislation and procedures of the Eurasian Economic Union.

These courses were developed and conducted jointly with the OSCE Centre’s experts, trainers from Afghan National Customs Academy and the Kyrgyz State Customs Service.