News and press releases

On 30 and 31 October, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department's Border Security and Management Unit in close co-operation with the Spanish National Police hosted an interactive training course on gendered aspects of transnational threats in Madrid. The event brought together 27 first- and second-line border security officers from Albania, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Spain and Tunisia.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission), in co-operation with the Center against Trafficking in Works of Art (CPKU) and the Agency for Education and Professional Training Mostar (AEPTM), organized a three-day training on combatting illicit trafficking in cultural property in BiH for representatives and experts from law enforcement agencies, the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, cultural ministries, academia, and NGOs.

Study Visit on promotion and exchange of good practices and modern standards in border controls and document security, with a special focus on biometric components in travel documents and countering illegal migration for State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS).

From 14 to 18 October, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department, in partnership with experts from Greece’s Hellenic Police, conducted an intensive five-day advanced training course in Sofia, Bulgaria on identifying forged documents and impostors at border crossing points. Fifteen officers from

On 15 and 16 October, the OSCE Secretariat with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and other OSCE Field Operations in Central Asia organized an international seminar that initiated the establishment of the Association of Women in Border and Law Enforcement Agencies in Central Asia. The international seminar, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, builds on OSCE’s ongoing efforts to empower women officers and strengthen regional security.

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek is supporting a series of joint inter- and intra-agency exercises designed to enhance collaboration between the Border Service and law enforcement agencies in combating the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, conventional ammunition, and explosives in southern Kyrgyzstan. These scenario-based exercises are vital in reinforcing co-operation between the Border Service’s internal structures and units, while also fostering stronger partnerships with law enforcement agencies. By working together, participants will become familiar with each other’s operational procedures, improving their ability to respond swiftly and effectively to security threats.

From 30 September to 11 October, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana (Office) organized an advanced Training of Trainers, for a group of ten new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (hereinafter – UAV) instructors of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee Border Service in Lenger, Turkistan province. With the Office’s support, the Border Service established a Centre of Excellence for UAV operations in Lenger, where future capacity-building activities are planned to be held with the OSCE’s support.