OSCE holds workshop in Albania on establishing Advance Passenger Information system
The Border Security and Management Unit (BSMU) of the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department, in close co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, organized a workshop from 31 October to 2 November 2017 on how to establish an Advance Passenger Information (API) system in Albania, aimed to prevent the movement of foreign terrorist fighters and combat terrorism and transnational crime.
API is an electronic communication system which enables collection of biographic data from a passenger’s travel document by airlines and transmits it to border control agencies before a flight’s departure or arrival at the destination. By checking the data against law enforcement watch lists, such as those of INTERPOL, border officials can know in advance whether inadmissible persons are attempting to enter their country.
The workshop brought together 30 representatives from all agencies involved in passenger processing in the country, including border police, customs officials, intelligence services, the civil aviation authority, and data protection experts. It provided the participants with a good understanding of how the API system operates and familiarized them with financial, technological and legal requirements for setting it up..
Participants greatly benefited from the presence of international experts in the workshop. Border and police officers from Italy and the Netherlands shared their experience in implementing and using API systems, which allowed attendees to learn about good practices and potential pitfalls to avoid when setting up their national API system. Through interactive discussions and group activities, participants also assessed the effectiveness of the practices currently used for processing air passengers in Albania, identified strengths and weaknesses and determined the technical assistance needs of the country. The workshop resulted in a roadmap drafted jointly by participants and experts, which outlined the main steps that Albania should follow for establishing its own national API system.
The event was the second in series of five national workshops on enhancing the implementation of API systems that will take place in the Western Balkans over the next year and a half. This project is part of the OSCE’s efforts to ensure compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2178 and 2309 and the OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Enhancing the Use of API (2016), which aim at expanding the use of API systems around the world to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters.