Customs instructors enhance training delivery capacity at OSCE, WCO-supported train-the-trainer course

Participants during a practical training session on identification of precursor chemicals, Dushanbe, 4 December 2015.

DUSHANBE, 4 December 2015 – Fifteen instructors from the national training customs institutions of Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Tajikistan concluded today a ten-day train-the-trainer course in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, organized jointly by the OSCE Border Management Staff College and the World Customs Organization’s (WCO) Programme Global Shield (PGS).

Introduction to Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), risk assessment, profiling and targeting, identification of precursor chemicals as well as recognizing fraud and behavioural analysis was the focus of the training course. The participants enhanced skills in delivering technical knowledge through giving presentation and showcasing skills while experts from the WCO PGS evaluated their work and provided feedback.

“This education opportunity enables instructors of customs institutes to meet and work in regional format that puts teaching at the front-line of improving and furthering national administrations’ capabilities,” said Dita Nowicka, Director of the Border Management Staff College.

“The usage of explosive precursor chemicals in the manufacture of IEDs is on the increase. The cross border diversion and trafficking of these chemicals must be prevented if the threat of IEDs is to be minimised. In this connection, the customs and border protection agencies have a bigger role to play,” said Seevali Arukgoda, WCO PGS’s Programme Associate. . “The WCO’s Programme Global Shield is providing technical assistance to its members in the fight against global IED threat. The training course concluded today should contribute to the effective control of the global IED threat in Central Asia.”

“I found this training opportunity interesting and useful for the customs officials. This is a vital topic for us as there are threats in terms of explosives in our country,” said Mohammad Farhad Ahmadzai, Senior Trainer at the Afghan National Customs Academy. “Raising awareness of customs officials will help to eliminate these threats and save lives of people. As a trainer in future I’ll make sure that this valuable knowledge is further disseminated among my colleagues in Afghanistan.”

In parallel with the course, the quarterly Regional Operational Co-ordination Meeting of the PGS took place on 24-25 November. In the course of the meeting, participants had the opportunity to visit the Customs Checkpoint in Tajik-Afghan border, where they met counterparts from Customs Administration of Tajikistan, and observed infrastructure on site.