BOMCA is continuing its support to border management agencies of Central Asia in COVID-19 prevention measures. 3 500 specialized sets of protective masks, gloves and antiseptic liquids were purchased and handed over to the State Committee for Food Security of Tajikistan.
Due to the rapid spread of the virus worldwide, BOMCA Programme supports the border management agencies in Kyrgyzstan in undertaking prevention measures against the COVID-19 outbreak. Thus, BOMCA is delivering 250 specialized sets of protective suits and other personal protective equipment for the State Customs Service of Kyrgyzstan.
On March 03-04 in Dushanbe BOMCA expert team summarized the results of its technical assistance mission the main goal of which was to assist the Food Security Committee of Tajikistan to develop the strategic development plan for its Department on the State Border and Transport (Department). This was a final stage of technical mission, where experts presented to the management and operational staff of the Food Security Committee of Tajikistan the draft of the Strategy and its Action Plan.
On February 18-20, 2020 Tashkent was hosting national seminar on risk analysis at road checkpoints. BOMCA experts together with representatives of the Border Troops of the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan reviewed the basic principles of risk analysis in relation to road checkpoints. Participants got acquainted with the principles of risk analysis developed by the FRONTEX Agency and implemented in the EU countries - methods for preparing the analysis, investigating signs of border violation, as well as the tasks and functions of the employees involved. Based on the presented European experience, a comparative analysis of risk analysis systems in the Border Troops of the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the European Union was carried out, as well as standard guidelines for risk analysis at the local level (for road checkpoints) were developed.
On February 12 BOMCA Regional Manager M. Domins met A. Torutaev, Chairman of the State Customs Service. Parties summarized main outcomes of mutual cooperation within BOMCA 9 and identified main priorities areas for the next 10th phase of BOMCA which is expected to begin in May 2020.
With the purpose of enhancing international donor coordination and cooperation and strengthening stakeholder networking, BOMCA supported the State Border Service of the Kyrgyz Republic in hosting the International Donors Coordination Meeting on Border Management Issues, which was held on 11 February 2019. The meeting gathered international organizations and agencies involved in border management and associated areas (OSCE, RCC, UNODC, UNHCR, UNDP, UNICEF).
On February 12, the regional office of the BOMCA program welcomed a group of European students who came to Kyrgyzstan as part of a study tour on projects funded by the European Union.
Regional workshop on enhancing interagency cooperation in the area delegation of functions in border and customs control started in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 11 February. The event gathers 20 representatives from Border and Customs Services from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
