DUSHANBE, June 3, 2014, Asia-Plus — Twenty customs service officers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in 5th meeting of the Heads and Representatives of Central Asian Customs Training Institutions within Customs Consortium established with the support European Union funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA), implemented by the UN Development Programme, which took place in Dushanbe on May 29.
According to the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan, representatives of US funded Export and Border Security Program (EXBS) and Border Management Staff College of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE BMSC) also participated at the event.
During consortia meeting, participants reportedly shared latest developments in the field of educational process in Customs Services of Central Asian states, reviewed the progress made under Consortium activities as well as worked out practical recommendations/proposals for further work of Customs Consortia considering its sustainability.
The meeting participants also visited the Institute of Professional Development (IPD) of the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan established with US EXBS support and highly valued new facilities and equipment delivered.
BOMCA supports the establishment of customs and border guard agencies consortia of training institutions in Central Asia and facilitates the establishment of institutional partnerships between such consortia and EU training institutions in the fields of border and customs control.
The overall objectives of BOMCA are to help increase security in the Central Asian region, to contribute toward the facilitation of legitimate trade and transit, and to reduce the illicit movement of goods and people through central Asian borders.
