Mongolian women border officials complete OSCE course on border security and management

Twenty-five women officials from the Mongolian border-related agencies completed a five-day training course in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 6 March 2015 on border security and management.  The course was organized by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department.

Hosted by the Mongolian Ministry of Justice Law Enforcement University, the course brought together women officials from different border-related agencies. These included the National Police Agency, the Border Protection Agency, the Border Protection Institute, the National Emergency Management Agency, Chinggis Khan International Airport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Customs Authority, the Graduate School for Security Studies and the Police Legal Studies Office of the Law Enforcement University.

They took part in lectures and group exercises focusing on areas such as factors and influences in border security and management, good practices in facilitating trade, gender in the security sector, leadership and management by women, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in border surveillance, risk management and allocating human resources as well as issues relating to migration, refugees and human trafficking.

Exercises, also led by participants themselves, included how to combat the smuggling of cigarettes, C4 explosives and heroin; border agency responses to earthquake and disasters in a neighbouring country; and a national level strategic review of border management policies.

On 2 March, the participants attended a roundtable discussion featuring the State Secretary of Mongolian Minister of Justice Bayartsetseg Jigmiddash, senior MP Migeddorj Batchimeg, the Czech Ambassador Ivana Grollova and the US Ambassador Piper Campbell. The session covered legislation and support for agencies, Mongolia and its global outlook, peacekeeping operations and international conventions and commitments towards women, as well as the role of family and women in the workplace.

The course was organized in response to a request from the Mongolian Ministry of Justice.