Border Management Programme in Central Asia

BOMCA is also assisting countries in Central Asia in their pursuit of regional economic development and trade facilitation within Central Asia, with the neighboring countries and between Central Asia and the EU member states.

Current status

At present the eighth phase of BOMCA is being implemented, for the period of July 2011-June 2014.

The eighth phase of BOMCA focuses on the following four components:

Component 1: Institutional Reform (support Central Asian countries to adopt and implement the principles and practices of European IBM approach in their border management);

Component 2: Enhancing Professional Skills (Enhancement of professional skills of border control and inspection officers by cascading down trainings to national trainers in border security, use of dog at borders, document security, counternarcotics and anti-corruption);

Component 3: Strengthening Counter Drugs Capacities in Agencies Working at Borders (Enhancement of capacities for law enforcement officers in charge of fighting trafficking of illicit drugs across borders with the aim to support the interception of drugs and precursor chemicals through provision of trainings in information analysis, person and vehicle search, drug and precursor identification, forensics and handling of evidence, and through provision of equipment and office refurbishment in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan);

Component 4: Border Crossing Points and Border Outposts (improvement of working conditions and motivation of staff deployed at BCPs and BOs which were built under previous BOMCA and CADAP phases. It is envisaged to renovate 3 border outposts in Tajikistan. Additionally, equipment will be provided to 17 border detachments and border outposts in Kyrgyzstan and 4 border outposts - in Tajikistan.)

The overall objectives of the eighth phase of BOMCA are: to help increase security in Central Asia, to contribute toward the facilitation of legitimate trade and transit, and to reduce the illicit movement of goods and people.

Goals

• To help increase security in the region
• To contribute toward the facilitation of legitimate trade and transit
• To reduce the illicit movement of goods and people

Lessons learnt from previous phases of programme implementation require a new approach to training under BOMCA 8, to enhance relevance and ownership to programme beneficiaries, to engage European Member States in the transfer of border management expertise to Central Asia. It is proposed to establish consortia of training centres under BOMCA 8, to include key training facilities in Central Asia – many previously supported by the BOMCA Programme – and counterpart institutions in the European Union. BOMCA will facilitate the establishment of institutional partnerships between such consortia and EU Border Management training institutions.