OSCE launches Border Management College in Dushanbe

DUSHANBE, 27 May 2009 - The OSCE Border Management Staff College, which will help train border security managers and promote co-operation between OSCE States and Partner countries, was launched in Dushanbe today.

The college will offer border management training courses to senior border officers from the OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, including neighbouring Afghanistan, as well as provide an outreach programme of workshops and seminars in Central Asia to enhance cross-border and inter-agency co-operation in the region. A research and development centre will also be housed at the college.

"The Greek Chairmanship is committed to seeing the Staff College flourish, in line with our continued support for border security and management initiatives in the entire OSCE area and particularly in Central Asia", said Ambassador Mara Marinaki, who represented the Greek OSCE Chairmanship at the launch. She added that the Greek Chairmanship would contribute 80,000 euros for this year's running costs.

The OSCE Border Management Staff College will address border-related challenges in all dimensions of the OSCE's work, including terrorism, transnational organized crime, illegal migration and illicit trafficking in nuclear, biological, chemical and conventional weapons, as well as trafficking of human beings, drugs and hazardous waste.

Training and research will also focus on the free and secure movement of persons, border crossing procedures, facilitating trade and transport security. The College aims to provide a single point of knowledge delivery and promote international standards and best practices in all aspects of border management.

"We strongly believe in positive relationships with the OSCE and will take efforts to enhance our co-operation further", said Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi.

"I would like to emphasize that the launching of the Border Management Staff College is evidence of such positive relations."

Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, the Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, added: "We attach great importance to this College as a unique entity that will play a strategic role in promoting international standards in all aspects of border management."

He noted that the Spanish, Finnish and Greek OSCE Chairmanships and Tajik Government had all significantly contributed to the Staff College concept and its implementation.

Ambassadors and other representatives of OSCE participating States attended the launch ceremony as part of a familiarization visit to Central Asia. Also on the occasion of the launch ceremony, the Norwegian Ambassador to the OSCE pledged a financial contribution by his Government of 170,000 euros to this year's running costs of the College, in addition to 332,000 euros already contributed in 2008. The week before, Germany had pledged 100,000 euros, in addition to 100,000 euros in 2008. Finland has contributed 400,000 euros. Other OSCE participating States have stated their readiness to support the OSCE Border Management Staff College.

The Heads of all law-enforcement agencies of Tajikistan attended the ceremony.