A Regional Meeting of Experts on Document Security was held on 4-5 November 2026 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, bringing together border and migration experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to strengthen regional cooperation and the exchange of information on document fraud.

The meeting was held under the Border Management Programme in Central Asia, Phase 11 (BOMCA 11), funded by the European Union and implemented by a consortium led by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). The activity was substantively organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in cooperation with ICMPD and the Central Financing and Contracting Agency of Latvia.

The event brought together officials responsible for border and migration control, international cooperation, legal matters and specialized document examination. Participants shared national practices, discussed current trends and challenges related to fraudulent travel and identity documents, and exchanged experience on existing approaches to information sharing and document verification.

Over the two days, experts worked together to identify practical ways to make regional cooperation more systematic, timely and sustainable, while taking into account national legislation, institutional responsibilities and data-protection requirements. Particular attention was given to strengthening professional contacts between relevant national authorities and improving the exchange of technical information on emerging document-fraud methods and related risks.

By the end of the meeting, participants had reached a common understanding on a number of key principles for further regional cooperation and jointly refined the proposed working approaches. The results of the expert discussions will undergo further refinement before being shared with the five Central Asian countries for the next stage of review and comments.

The meeting demonstrated a shared interest among participating countries in maintaining regular expert-level interaction and building sustainable cooperation that can support border and migration authorities in responding more effectively to evolving document-security challenges.

The activity contributes to BOMCA 11 efforts to strengthen cooperation among Central Asian border-management authorities, enhance professional capacities and support practical regional responses to cross-border security challenges while facilitating legitimate movement across borders.