The fourth BSMSL course: Completion of module one

Twenty-seven officers and managers from different border security and law enforcement agencies from OSCE’s participating States completed the first module of the one-year Border Security and Management for Senior Leadership course (BSMSL) on 11 December 2020. Due to the COVID-29 pandemic and the travel restrictions, the traditional face-to-face phase of the first module was held via video teleconferencing.

The course was conducted by the OSCE Border Management Staff College in collaboration with the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance.

Participants represented Armenia, France, Greece, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Tajikistan, and Ukraine, as well as three of the OSCE’s Partners for Co-operation: Afghanistan, Egypt, and Jordan.

The purpose of the first module was to expand the knowledge and expertise of the mid-to-senior level border officials on modern security challenges on border management as well to address possible countermeasures. “The course provided a good foundation for the participants on ways to deal with current security threats,” said Dr. Stanislav Filippov from the National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Filippov is the leading expert of the BSMSL Module One. 

The main topics covered during the course included the analysis of security threats, human trafficking, cybercrime, counter-terrorism threats as well as refugee protection and border management. Mohammad Amran Sahak, provincial co-ordination manager at Afghanistan’s Customs Department and course participant said: “I learned many things but the most interesting part for me was to gain an understanding about what integrated border management is. Afghanistan is in the process of implementing integrated border management strategy and I was nominated to become part of the committee.” Upon the completion of Module One, participants will now embark on the second stage of the one-year course, which emphasizes the application of leadership skills in border management.

The course is accredited by the EKKA Quality Assessment Council for Higher Education and equals to an internationally recognized one-year postgraduate diploma course.