Minsk, 1 December 2006 - Cross-border character of international organized crime demands new coordinated approaches of border and law enforcement agencies of European states and international organizations. This was the main thesis of a three-day international conference “Ensuring Border Security in the Context of Modern Challenges and Threats to the System of International Security” which was closed yesterday in Minsk.

The forum was jointly arranged by the UNDP Office and the State Border Guard Committee of Belarus under the Programme “Enhancing Border Management in the Republic of Belarus” (BOMBEL).

“UNDP itself supports good governance – reducing corruption, strengthening the rule of law and law enforcement mechanisms such as the judiciary, police and border guards, and approach the issues from a holistic, development-cantered approach focusing on protecting the vulnerable groups while building capacities of professional cadres; promoting knowledge management through networking and exchange of experience; and upgrading of equipment, skills and standards to allow the implementation of international agreements,” UNDP Resident Representative in Belarus, Ms Cihan Sultanoglu, noted.

Representatives of border guard agencies of CIS and European Union member states, international organizations, Belarusian state governance bodies, and diplomats accredited in Belarus participated in the conference.

“The meeting has turned to be a logical follow-up to similar events, which had been earlier held in Germany and Finland,” the Head of the Border Guards Committee of Belarus, Alexander Pavlovsky said.

The conference participants outlined the most important tasks of border guard agencies in the new world, and the ways to fulfill them. Special attention was paid to illicit migration, international terrorism, trafficking in drugs, humans, and other forms of international organized crime. The experts shared experience based on concrete examples of their activity, discussed joint events and operations, opportunities for information exchange and development of interaction with international organizations.

For reference: the length of the state border of Belarus, which is located at the crossroads of transit flows and interests of international criminal groupings, is currently 3,540 kilometers, of which 1,200 kilometers fall on EU new member states. In view of the fact that by 2008 the EU internal borders will be completely removed, and CIS will preserve its internal borders transparency, Belarus’ western frontier will remain the only serious barrier for international criminal syndicates. For this reason Belarus was chosen as a venue for the above conference.

For more information, please contact the Project Manager, Sergei Prikhodko, at 216-24-93, or UNDP Communications Associate, Vladislav Khilkevich, at 227 38 17.

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