OSCE seminar in Vienna focuses on effective methods to combat domestic and transnational corruption

 

 

Scenario-based exercise. Vienna, Austria (OSCE BMSC/Alexander Eliseev)

VIENNA, 20 September 2013 - Twenty-two middle and senior-ranking border and customs officers from Egypt, Estonia, Israel, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic and Tunisia completed a five-day OSCE-supported training on fight against corruption on 20 September 2013 in Vienna.

Dushanbe-based OSCE Border Management Staff College and OSCE Transnational Threats Department organized this event to help border and customs officers exchange their experiences and establish contacts with colleagues from similar agencies.

The sessions covered international standards to fight against corruption; definitions, types and impact of corruption; corruption investigation techniques in border and customs services; as well as corruption prevention and integrity strategies. To improve the participants’ practical knowledge they examined a number of case studies and scenario-based exercises.

“This training course for representatives of border agencies demonstrates innovative and improved ways to combat corruption,” said Alexander Eliseev, OSCE Border Management Staff College’s Chief of Education. “Events like this also promote transparency and accountability among border security agencies’ staff.”

Peter Beyer, former senior detective of the UK’s Scotland Yard who currently works as Organized Crime Adviser in the OSCE Mission to Serbia said: “This course should help senior officers to develop and implement strategies against corruption within their own organisations. Tackling corruption should be a priority for every country in the world, and it remains as one of the OSCE’s key objectives."