From 11-13 July 2018, UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia conducted a Regional Strategic Trade and Export Control Awareness Raising Workshop for Customs officers from the Central Asian countries under the UNODC-World Customs Organization (WCO) Global Container Control Programme in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan. Representatives from Customs administrations, members of Port Control Units from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the event. The workshop aimed at raising awareness and strengthening knowledge of the Customs officers in the field of strategic trade and export control.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Azim Khaidar Tursunzoda, First Deputy Chairman of the Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, stressed that the "theme of today's workshop is important and urgent. And, above all, we will get familiarized with accomplishments, existing challenges, as well as consider appropriate solutions in Central Asia."
Mr. Batyr Geldiyev, UNODC Regional Programme Coordinator, welcoming the participants from Central Asia, thanked the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan for hosting the event and donors for their continuous support to the Programme, and stressed that illicit trade in strategic commodities is a security threat both nationally and internationally and an increasing challenge for Customs administrations across the globe.
The United National Security Council Resolution (UNCSR) 1540, unanimously adopted by all members states, places mandatory requirements for member states to maintain and develop appropriate effective border controls and law enforcement efforts to detect, deter, prevent and combat the illicit trafficking or brokering of WMD, CBRN materials or their associated/components parts.
The establishment of Port Control Units can directly contribute to the members states' operative implementation of UNCRS 1540 building on the specialized profiling techniques obtained during theoretical, practical and mentoring components of CCP and complementing this with very specific Strategic Trade and Export Control Training.
The CCP Regional Segment for Central Asia and Azerbaijan is funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program as well as the Government of Japan.
