News

Between 17 and 20 October, a study visit to Latvia was organized for the border guard, customs, and phytosanitary and veterinary services of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It formed the final stage of the national workshops on HR and finance planning which have been conducted in all five Central Asian countries during the course of 2016 and 2017. Based on the training needs revealed during the national workshops, 12 national partners total took part in the visit and expanded their knowledge and skills in the area of proper HR management and financial planning and control.

A regional workshop on advancing cross-border procedures through one-stop customs inspection was held in Bishkek between 10-12 October, gathering customs, border agencies and phytosanitary agencies from Central Asian countries, with the main goal being to increase their awareness of the potential of one-stop shops to create new possibilities for economic growth and people mobility across borders.

On 4 October, Vienna hosted the 13th Central Asia Border Security Initiative Conference (CABSI), gathering over 100 international participants to discuss issues relating to transnational organised crime, migration challenges and responses, and trade facilitation issues.

Between 13-15 September a regional workshop on the Revised Kyoto Convention was conducted in Almaty, gathering together key national partners from the customs agencies of Central Asian countries. The workshop ended the series of working meetings conducted in each country where discussions on the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and its implementation aspects were conducted, and the compatibility of the countries’ national legislation assessed and reviewed.

On 13 September in Bishkek a workshop on standards of assistance to vulnerable migrants was conducted. The event served as a forum for governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to exchange experience and explore the international standards for enhancing the quality and access to basic services for vulnerable migrants, especially victims of trafficking. Over the course of the three-day workshop, government representatives (from the Ministries of Foreign and Internal Affairs, the Border Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the State Migration Service and other relevant ministries), and BOMCA, IOM and UNHCR experts, as well as representatives from NGOs and civil society partners involved in combating trafficking in persons in Kyrgyzstan, exchanged experiences, shared findings and discussed ways to respond to the needs of victims of trafficking  (VoTs) and migrants in accordance with international standards and best practices.

From 25 to 27 July BOMCA organised a three-day study tour in Latvia on border demarcation and delimitation for representatives of relevant state agencies of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The activity brought together delegates representing Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Border Services and National Commissions on delimitation and demarcation issues.

On July 17-20 BOMCA organized a study tour in Latvia and Lithuania for representatives of border, customs, and veterinary and phytosanitary agencies of Central Asian countries. The activity gathered 20 officers from border, customs and veterinary/phytosanitary institutions of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan who were given an opportunity to learn from the European experience and observe on the spot the advantages of intra-agency and inter-agency cooperation. 

A new  round of national Steering Group meetings was held in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, within the framework of the BOMCA project.  Key partners from the beneficiary agencies, as well as EU representatives participated in these meetings and reconfirmed their commitment towards the implementation of the project and achievement of project goals. Together with the BOMCA management team, participants defined the directions for the upcoming activities in 2017.