Türkiye and UNODC Reaffirm Partnership and Cooperation on Passenger and Cargo Border Control 

 27 June 2024, Ankara, Türkiye - Ms. Cristina Iampieri, Head of UNODC’s Passenger and Cargo Border Team (PCBT) recently visited the Directorate General of Customs Enforcement (DGCE) of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye. As a result of the visit, UNODC and Turkish counterparts reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on passenger and cargo border control.

During the visit, the newly appointed Head of PCBT and an accompanying UNODC delegation met with counterparts from the DGCE and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Republic of Türkiye. The meeting highlighted the importance of international cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime. Joint activities to further improve the capacity of countries in various regions of the world to address drugs and other forms of illicit trafficking were also discussed. Following the meeting, the UNODC delegation visited the DGCE’s Command-and-Control Centre and Dog Training Centre.

UNODC has a longstanding partnership with the DGCE and MFA, which have generously hosted numerous PCBT activities in Türkiye, including international events, exchange visits to airports, seaports and the Command-and-Control Center of the DGCE. DGCE also regularly provides national experts to support PCBT training and meetings. In this context, Türkiye adds great value to UNODC’s technical assistance in passenger and cargo border control.

PCBT, which falls under UNODC’s Border Management Branch (BMB) and is located at the UNODC Regional Office for South-Eastern Europe (ROSEE) in Istanbul, coordinates implementation of the Container Control Programme (CCP) and the Airport Communication Programme (AIRCOP)

CCP builds capacity in countries seeking to improve risk management, supply chain security, and trade facilitation in seaports, airports and land border crossings in order to prevent the cross-border movement of illicit goods.

AIRCOP aims at strengthening the capacities of international airports to target and intercept high-risk passengers, cargo and mail, as a contribution to the fight against illicit drugs and other illicit commodities, terrorism-related threats, trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. It also aims at facilitating communication and coordination between origin, transit and destination countries to disrupt cross-border illicit flows and criminal networks.

UNODC implements these programmes in partnership with the World Customs Organization (WCO), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

 

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Learn more about PCBT: CCP and AIRCOP