Parliament backs giving more powers to Europol, but with supervision
Operation Oscar to support the freezing of criminal assets owned by EU-sanctioned individuals and entities
Today, 11 April 2022, Europol, jointly with EU Member States, Eurojust and Frontex, launched Operation Oscar to support financial investigations by EU Member States targeting criminal assets owned by individuals and legal entities sanctioned in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Operation Oscar will also aim to support criminal investigations by Member States in relation to the circumvention of EU-imposed trade and economic sanctions. Similar to operation Sentinel, which targets fraud against COVID-19 EU recovery funds, Operation Oscar is an umbrella operation that will continue for a period of at least one year and include a number of separate investigations.
In the framework of Operation Oscar, initiated by Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre, Europol will facilitate partners’ exchange of information and intelligence and provide operational support in a number of financial investigations targeting criminal assets and circumvention of the EU economic sanctions related to the Russia’s military aggression towards Ukraine. Europol will centralise and analyse all information contributed under this operation to identify international links, criminal groups and suspects, as well as new criminal trends and patterns. Europol will further provide tailor-made analytical support to investigations, as well as operational coordination, forensics and technical expertise, and financial support to the relevant national authorities.
Eurojust will be actively involved with the operation through the exchange of strategic and operational information. Eurojust will furthermore provide legal assistance and support and strengthen cooperation between national investigating and judicial authorities.
Frontex will contribute to the operation by enhancing the scrutiny of the persons who are crossing EU’s external borders and fall under the scope of the sanctions. Taking advantage of the large spectrum of the operational activities of Frontex, the task will be implemented in the all their domains – land, sea and air.
One of the largest hospitals in eastern Ukraine, providing specialized medical care to a population of 103 000 people, was used to dealing with the consequences of conflict even before the Russian military offensive began on 24 February 2022. Since 2014, the hospital had been playing a crucial role in treating wounded soldiers from the armed struggle in the nearby Donbas region, as well as caring for the 51 000 civilians displaced by the hostilities.
But now, this hospital is out of use.
“The hospital was critical for the entire area, because there was a resuscitation unit here and all the medical equipment needed to care for the civilian population, as well as the surgery and emergency facilities required for treating casualties of the conflict,” said Viktor, the head of the hospital.
In 2019, WHO installed an oxygen generator at the hospital to make sure there was no disruption to the life-saving care being provided to patients, and also donated equipment for washing and sterilizing medical devices.
Andriy, one of the hospital’s health-care workers, recalls the terrifying days following 24 February: “Intensive shelling and attacks on the city began the next day, February 25, and lasted for 10 days. Almost immediately our hospital received an influx of wounded people and we had to set up a bomb shelter in the hospital basement to protect the hundreds of civilians seeking refuge. Most patients and health-care workers were only evacuated from the hospital once the situation had got so bad that we were unable to continue providing medical care.”
After a week and a half of bombardment, the hospital was not just out of action, but so severely damaged that any chance of restarting services was impossible.
Health care #NotATarget
As of 6 April, WHO had verified 91 reports of attacks on health care in Ukraine, causing 73 deaths and 46 injuries. This is unacceptable.
Attacks on health MUST stop. Not only do they endanger lives, they deprive people of urgently needed care and break already-strained health systems.
Health systems, facilities and health workers should never be targets. They must remain protected, functional, safe and accessible to all who need essential medical services. In any conflict, attacks on health care are a violation of international humanitarian law.
Bangkok (Thailand), 8 April 2022 – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) opium survey for Myanmar has found that cultivation in Myanmar between September 2020 and January 2021 increased for the first time since a downwards trend started in 2014.
The report “Myanmar Opium Survey: Cultivation, Production and Implications” analyses data collected just before the February 2021 military take-over, showing an increase of 2% in cultivation area from 29,500 hectares (ha) to 30,200 ha, and an increase in yield of 4% to 423 metric tons (mt). While overall cultivation is far below 2013 and 2014 levels, and it is not clear if the change reflects a longer-term trend, it is a concerning development given the socio-economic crisis which began with the COVID-19 pandemic that has accelerated over the past year, and the general expansion of regional drug markets.
Click here to download the full report
UNODC Regional Representative Jeremy Douglas remarked, “The data reflect the situation before 1 February 2021, but it has to be seen in the context of Myanmar’s ongoing crisis and deteriorating economy, and the instability faced by farmers in areas where the opium economy is a traditional and largely crisis-proof employer.”
Shan State has continued to be the location of the vast majority of poppy cultivation at 83% of the national total but only showed a small increase of 1% over previous years, while Kachin State bordering India and China showed an increase of 17% over the previous year.
Opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar, 1996-2020 (ha)
In spite of the continuing regional shift towards the production, trafficking and use of synthetic drugs, Myanmar’s opium economy generates substantial profits both within and outside the country. The latest findings put the value of opium in Myanmar at US$ 0.5-1.1 billion, and at the same time heroin from Myanmar contributes significantly to the regional drug market which has more than 3 million heroin users consuming approximately US$10 billion worth of the drug per year.
Farmers and rural communities in Shan State and other poppy-growing areas have relatively little to gain from the transnational drug business based on their crops. However, increasing wholesale prices – for the first time since 2016 farm-gate opium prices have gone up – and a much less stable economic and security environment make opium more attractive. “Poverty is the key reason for farmers to consider poppy cultivation in Myanmar,” says Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC Country Manager for Myanmar, “As a new dynamic in the opium economy appears to be taking shape, promoting economically, socially and environmentally sustainable livelihood opportunities will be one of the few ways to address the illicit drug situation in Myanmar, both in the context of increased instability and as a long-term impediment to peace and sustainable development, in particular in Shan State.”
Data on the 2021-2022 cultivation season is expected to be available later this year.
Click here to learn about the UNODC Regional Programme for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Click here to learn about UNODC regional work on drug control.
Cultivation changes between 2020 and-2021*
Opium poppy cultivation density in Myanmar (average over the period 2015-2021 in ha/km²)
Ever since the eyes of the world have turned to the conflict in Ukraine, it is difficult to speak of religious freedom.
First, the COVID, and then the war have hidden the minor but no less serious tragedies that are perpetuated in the rest of the globe, the suffering that continues to be perpetrated at the expense of the weakest.
For a moment, we realized what the state of the art on religious freedom was when last summer, NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan, and suddenly we were plunged back into a dark time of segregation and discrimination. A time of persecution against those whose only fault is that they believe in their own God or because of their own being.
We realized that in certain parts of the world, being a woman or being a Christian, is still a guilt. This, for example, is the story of Zabi*, whose story was told to us by the NGO Open doors, the story of a young Afghan Christian woman who fled following the capture of the Taliban.
Zabi is a refugee who had to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban take-over. She’s single, still quite young and well-educated. She was active in the area of human rights and, therefore a target for the Taliban.
But being an activist and fighting for her ideals is not Zabi’s only fault. Zabi has many sins, including that of being born a woman and a Christian.
The Taliban already know who she is and what she does because already five years ago, they killed her father for his faith, only after having tortured him for several months. And unfortunately, the tragedies for Zabi do not end here.
Only two years ago, her brother also disappeared. Like Zabi, he was a believer. We don’t know if she has other siblings, but Zabi’s mother is still alive. She’s not Christian.
The story of Zabi is not the only one. There are many other stories, very similar, stories that are lost in the speed of modernity and in a world where priorities are those that make it to the front page. So, it is precisely these stories, those of which it is impossible to know the epilogue.
We know, for example, that many of these refugees, after the seizure of Kabul, fled to Pakistan in the hope of a better future. And that right here, they found themselves, if not in hell, certainly in purgatory. Even in Pakistan, in fact, there is no rest for persecuted Christians.
With the intergroup, we managed to bring to the attention of European institutions, the infamy of the anti-blasphemy laws that claim victims every day in this part of the world. Thanks to our actions, we have been able to save the couple Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar in prison for eight years, with the only fault of being Christians.
But that’s not enough. The Intergroup receives reports on a daily basis, not least that of Shahzad Masih, for whom the Intergroup has made several moves to try to get a resolution on the agenda of the Parliament’s plenary session.
The story of Shahzad Masih was brought to the attention of the Intergroup by the NGO European Centre for Justice and Law. Shahzad is a 22-year-old young Christian man who has been in Pakistani prisons for five years, allegedly accused of being a blasphemer.
In 2017, while at work – at the time of the events Shahzad was working in a hospital as a janitor – Shahzad got into an argument with one of his Muslim colleagues. Shortly after the dispute, the situation escalated, and Shahzad was arrested.
From that moment, it also became impossible to get a date for a hearing. A hearing that to this day continues to be postponed.
There are several reasons why it is difficult to bring this case to the attention of European institutions and to have a hearing in Pakistani courts.
First of all, even before the recent developments in Pakistan, the situation regarding the blasphemy laws was complex. The Pakistani administration itself is in fact, hostage to radicalized segments of the population that strenuously defend the anti-blasphemy laws and therefore fear that by freeing an alleged blasphemy offender, protests will arise.
At the European level, the intergroup does its best to carry on battles related to religion. However, it often encounters a relativist culture. A culture that permeates the European institution and that wants to relegate any discussion on religion to a merely private matter, not realizing that, by doing so, they are not even able to establish clear boundaries and limits for negotiations with third countries.
“[there is] A culture that permeates the European institution and that wants to relegate any discussion on religion to a merely private matter”
Carlo Fidanza -MEP
The hope, therefore, is that as soon as possible, the European institutions will awaken from this torpor and begin to make their full weight – political and economic – felt in these negotiations so that the lives of those who want to live in their own lands and who still look to this continent with hope, are protected. ■
The Conference on the Future of Europe plenary met again in Strasbourg on 8-9 April to further develop proposals from the Conference’s working groups.
Chairs from the nine topical working groups presented the proposals to the Conference plenary where all members – representatives of citizens, European and national parliaments, EU institutions, social partners and civil society – debated them.
The proposals are based on recommendations made by citizens in EU and national panels, ideas gathered through the Conference’s digital platform, and exchanges held during Conference plenary and working group sessions.
While there were calls for treaty changes in many areas during the plenary debates, some said the EU should push ahead with practical solutions that could be applied faster and with existing tools.
The war in Ukraine heavily influenced the finalisation of proposals.
In a lively debate on the EU in the world, the question of whether EU competencies should be changed to better tackle crises such as the war in Ukraine came into the spotlight, with participants discussing the benefits and threats of abolishing the rule of unanimity in the Council. Supporting less developed countries and trade agreements were also discussed.
The right of countries to veto Council decisions was also one of main topics of discussions on European democracy. The debates also included calls for a more people-centred Europe that continues listening to citizens’ proposals: “We want a European charter for citizens’ participation. There should be a digital platform and a youth check for EU legislation,” said Manfred Weber (EPP, Germany).
On migration, debates tackled strengthening the EUs role on migration and a stronger system based on solidarity and shared responsibility, as well as improving integration. “Respect for human rights, solidarity, root causes of migration are present in the recommendations,” said Jordi Solé (Greens/EFA, Spain).
There were calls to protect the rule of law in the debate on values and rights, rule of law and security proposals. “European citizens call for a value-based EU, they ask for stricter legislation, for fiercer action on governments that fail the test,” said Katarina Barley (S&D, Germany). Zdzisław Krasnodębski (ECR, Poland) said: “I’m in favour of discussion on our values, but nobody should have a monopoly on what our values are.”
On health, many participants asked for new EU competencies, including minimum standards of health service across the EU. Alin Mituța (Romania, Renew Europe) said: “We would be able to save more lives if we could cooperate Europe-wide in the area of health, for example having a Europe-wide list of transplants and cardiovascular disease.” Promoting healthy lifestyles was on the table as well: “At schools, we should promote the culture of food,” said Susanna Ceccardi (ID, Italy).
The education, culture, youth and sport working group progressed on proposals about harmonising educational programmes, training, more funding, stopping the brain drain and strong social protection for young people. The balance between more English language in school and protecting minority languages was tackled and in sports, questions of gender equality, inclusiveness and the proper representation of local and traditional sports were raised.
On the topics of a stronger economy, social justice and jobs, the proposals were discussed in the context of supporting Ukrainians and tackling the social and economic consequences of the war inside the EU. The focus should be on a more sustainable and resilient economic model, concentrating on the green and digital transition. There were calls to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU economy, ensure good working conditions and tax justice.
Food security was among the main topics discussed on the climate change and the environment. More sustainable agriculture, climate action with faster implementation of the Green Deal going hand in hand with a fair and just transition and better informing consumers on greener mobility and food options were also discussed.
Digital solutions were discussed across working groups, not just the digital transformation group. Access to the internet as a fundamental right, digital skills, cybersecurity, trustworthiness of information without censorship, effective data protection and non-biased artificial intelligence were all discussed. “Access to digital infrastructure should be equal for everyone. People must be at the forefront of the deployment,” said Helmut Scholz (The Left, Germany).
Next steps
The final Conference Plenary sessionon 29-30 April will approve proposals to be presented to the Conference’s executive board. The final report will be delivered on 9 May in Strasbourg to the Presidents of the EU institutions who have committed to acting on the proposals.
By U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv - Mimuna_2013 No.075, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26572725
Mimouna is a festival that marks the end of the Jewish Passover in Morocco. Although specific to Moroccan Jews, it is so joyful and convivial that it has been adopted by everyone in Israel.
Maurice Tal, the organiser and coordinator of this annual event, left Morocco at the age of nine and headed for Israel, where he remained attached to his Jewish-Moroccan roots. Today in Brussels, he continues to preserve this heritage which is close to his heart….Maurice Tal always keeps the links with his native country and never misses the opportunity to show his Jewish-Moroccan identity within the Brussels society, especially during the Mimouna festival of which he is the organiser, a joyful symbol of the coexistence between Jews and Muslims in Morocco.
This year and for the first time, the Mimouna is organised on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, a very important moment to share an iftar (breaking of the fast) of peace, love and to call for more respect and tolerance between human beings in the world.
Place: La Rotonde Hall 96 rue du Doyenné 1180 Brussels Time: 20:00 Date: 24/04/2022 Registration and confirmation to Maurice Tal via WhatsApp on the following number????: +32475271311
Increasing reports of sexual violence and human trafficking in Ukraine – allegedly committed against women and children in the context of massive displacement and the ongoing Russian invasion – are raising “all the red flags” about a potential protection crisis, the head of the UN’s gender agency warned the Security Council on Monday.
Sima Bahous, Executive Director of the UN gender equality and empowerment agency, UN Women, said reports of rape and other crimes are emerging as huge numbers of displaced Ukrainians continue fleeing their homes amid the presence of conscripted soldiers and mercenaries, and against the backdrop of brutal killings of civilians.
Ms. Bahous recounted her recently-ended trip to the Republic of Moldova, where she witnessed buses full of anxious and exhausted women and children being met at the Ukrainian border by compassionate civil society workers.
As part of its coordination mandate, UN Women is supporting such groups “to ensure that the gendered nature of this crisis is addressed with a gender-sensitive response,” she said.
Condemning in the strongest terms an 8 April attack on a train station in Kramatorsk, which killed dozens of women and children waiting for evacuation from Ukraine, she also warned that “this trauma risks destroying a generation”.
WHO
A girl who fled Ukraine, in a refugee centre in Poland.
Escalating risks
Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s Director of Emergencies, said UNICEF teams were offloading life-saving humanitarian supplies just a kilometre away from the Kramatorsk train station at the time of the 8 April attack.
Meanwhile, children, families and communities in Ukraine remain under attack, many do not have enough food, and attacks on water systems have left some 1.4 million without access to a safe supply.
As of 10 April, the UN has verified 142 children killed and 229 children injured, but “we know these numbers are likely much higher”. Hundreds of schools and educational facilities have also been attacked or used for military purposes.
Stressing that nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have been displaced since the conflict began, he said UNICEF and its partners are doing everything possible, both inside and outside Ukraine — including carefully monitoring the health, rights and dignity of women and girls as the risk of exploitation and abuse grows.
However, ongoing fighting is preventing access to many areas of the country.
Evidence mounting of brutal killings by Russian troops
Also briefing the Council was Kateryna Cherepakha, President of the organization La Strada-Ukraine, who said local human rights groups are currently consolidating efforts to save civilian lives and collect survivor testimonies about the war crimes committed by the Russian Federation.
Despite clear indications of their status as civilians – and even as they seek evacuation – unarmed Ukrainian women carrying children have been brutally killed by Russian troops, she said, pointing to attacks on the railway station in Kramatorsk, as well as a maternity hospitals, kindergartens and shelters in Mariupol.
Highlighting the increased vulnerability of women and girls to the threat of kidnapping, torture and killing, she nevertheless warned against viewing Ukrainian women as mere victims of the Russian military aggression.
Indeed, she said, women volunteers, activists, journalists and human rights defenders, are an integral part of her country and its resistance.
Decrying the erosion of democracy in Brazil, a UN expert has called for authorities to create and maintain a safe environment conducive to the exercise of the rights to peaceful assembly and association.
“I am concerned that in recent years there have been emerging trends limiting the enjoyment of these rights in all areas,” Clément Nyaletsossi Voule said on Monday in São Paulo, speaking at the end of a 12-day visit to South America’s largest country.
He also pointed to the appalling levels of violence against human rights defenders, women journalists, indigenous peoples, and traditional communities, particularly those of African descent which are known as quilombolas.
Mr. Voule is the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of association.
“I deplore policies restricting social and political participation, limiting spaces for consultation concerning public policies and decision making,” he said, condemning the closure of 650 councils in Brazil.
He also addressed the frequent excessive use of force by law enforcement, as well as human rights violations during protests.
“I am concerned that there is neither a clear unified protocol for the use of force during protests nor an effective and independent mechanism for the oversight of law enforcement agents’ conduct,” he said.
Threats to political participation
Political violence against social leaders, candidates and elected leaders -particularly those of African descent and trans women – poses a serious threat to political participation and democracy, he said.
With general elections scheduled for October, he called for the State to ensure that all electoral processes are non-discriminatory and free of misinformation, fake news and hate speech, he said. Candidates must also be protected from any threats or attacks, both on and offline.
‘Robust’ civil society
Mr. Voule has welcomed the openness and cooperation of federal and state authorities with UN human rights mechanisms, including the establishment of a Parliamentary Observatory on Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
During the UPR process, governments outline what they have done to improve the human rights situation in their territories.
While in Brazil, Mr. Voule travelled to the capital, Brasilia, and the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, in addition to São Paulo.
“I am impressed by the robust, active and diverse civil society in Brazil that has played a critical role in the fight for social justice, to preserve democracy and the rule of law, and, more recently, to fight COVID-19,” he said.
However, the rights expert was appalled by violence against activists, quilombolas (original Afro-Brazilian settlements), indigenous communities, and community leaders in favelas, which was motivated by structural factors such as racism.
Stigma, threats, killings
Violence and discrimination against people who practice religions of African origin was another concern.
“I met collectives of mothers who want justice and accountability for the loss of their children. They are not asking for anything that is not already stated in Brazilian legislation, yet live under threats and in constant fear of violence,” he told reporters.
“Human rights defenders face a violent environment marked by stigmatisation, threats, harassment, physical attacks and killings”, he said.
Justice for Marielle Franco
Mr. Voule was also deeply concerned that those behind the March 2018 execution of Marielle Franco, the Afro-Brazilian human rights defender and city councillor, have still not been identified.
The State must investigate her execution effectively, promptly, thoroughly and impartially, and take action against those responsible, he said.
The UN expert further noted that some 20 bills are currently before the National Congress.
He urged the Government to amend three of these draft laws which, if adopted, would effectively criminalize the activities of social movements under the guise of national security and the fight against terrorism.
Independent voices
Special Rapporteurs and independent experts, like Mr. Voule, receive their mandates from the UN Human Rights Council, which is based in Geneva.
They operate in their individual capacity and are neither UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.
Mr. Voule will submit a comprehensive report to the Council in June which will outline his findings and recommendations.
The basic rights of older persons need to be protected today, more than ever before, said the UN human rights chief on Monday, but existing legal safeguards render them, in effect, “invisible”.
Michelle Bachelet was addressing the Working Group on Ageing, at UN Headquarters in New York, the first to do so in person, since it began its “vital role”, in 2011, she said.
“Today, more than ever, older persons need stronger protection to fully enjoy their human rights”, she added. “But the reality is that international legal frameworks – which should protect everybody, without discrimination – still render older persons invisible.”
She noted that by 2050, there will be twice as many older persons aged 65 than there are now, and will outnumber young people aged 15 to 24.
“We should ask ourselves: what kind of world do we want to live in by then? I would like to imagine a world where older persons everywhere are guaranteed to live a life of dignity, with economic security.
“A world where they can continue their work and contribute to society for as long as they wish and are able to. Where they can live independently and make their own decisions.”
She called for action to end violence, neglect and abuse of older persons, where “quality health services, including long-term care, are easily accessible.”
“In a future like this, older persons should be able to actively participate and contribute to sustainable development”, she told the meeting, and, if needed, they should have access to justice, for any human rights violations they may suffer.
Distant vision
Currently, “we are far from this vision of a better reality” for the older generation, she warned, noting that the majority of the six million lives lost to COVID-19, were older persons.
“The crisis has exposed and deepened critical human rights protection gaps for older persons”, she said.
“It has demonstrated how age-related discrimination creates and exacerbates poverty and marginalization, and how it amplifies human rights risks. Older persons have been left at the edges of society at the time when they are most in need of our support.”
Climate change too, has left them more likely to face health challenges, and at risk of losing access to food, land, water and sanitation, and ways of making a living in old age.
Кровопролитной осаде Сараево исполняется 30 лет.
An elderly man waits for the tram in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo: World Bank/Flore de Préneuf
Existential threats
“Their fundamental well-being is at grave risk”, said Ms. Bachelet, not least in the context of Russia’s war being waged in Ukraine, where “older persons are facing a particularly appalling humanitarian situation.
“Long-term care facilities are suffering a lack of food, heating, electricity, water and medication. Many residents who have chronic health conditions rely on others for care and are struggling to access bomb shelters or safe areas.”
She point out that violence against older women and the lack of access to medical care and mental health and psychosocial support services, had severely impacted health, also in the war-wracked Tigray region of Ethiopia.
“And in Syria, older persons continue to suffer the consequences of destroyed and damaged health infrastructure.”
‘Urgent imperative’ to act
Strengthening the human rights of older persons, is therefore “an urgent imperative that we all must strive towards”, said the High Commissioner.
For too long, their rights have suffered from “inadequate protection”, and they continue to be overlooked and neglected in national policies.
“At the international level, they are simply forgotten”, she emphasized, pointing out that her Office, OHCHR, had conducted several studies pointing out the protection gaps.
Her report last month to the Human Rights Council on ageism and age-discrimination, produced conclusions that were “no surprise” she said.
The existing framework for older persons, is “wholly inadequate”, while international engagement has been “far from systematic” or coherent.
“Finally, the distinct lack of a dedicated human rights instrument for older persons – as well as clear limitations of existing ones – is a continued reminder that we are not doing enough to effectively protect their human rights.”
Ageism pervasive
Ageism is “woven into the very fabric of life” of older persons, said Ms. Bachelet, and all pervasive.
“The stereotypes resulting from ageism and discrimination are counterproductive and can even be dangerous. They significantly contribute to the vulnerability of older persons and are one of the main obstacles to their enjoyment of human rights.”
Currently, she said, none of the UN human rights treaties contain any specific provision on age discrimination or ageism.
“We need to fight against this. In Our Common Agenda, the UN Secretary-General called for a renewed social contract anchored in human rights. Older persons are integral to this.”
‘Intergenerational solidarity’
She called for the creation of a new and strong “spirit of intergenerational solidarity”, as a way of unlocking progress towards the protection of human rights, “at every stage of life”.
“My hope is that future generations will all be able to enjoy the equalities and human rights we are demanding for older persons as part of this week’s vital discussions.”
She said most importantly – together with the active and meaningful participation of civil society, national rights institutions, and other stakeholders – the journey to bolster rights, “needs to be guided by the voices and lived experience of older persons themselves.”
Tashkent (Uzbekistan), 11 April 2022 – The region of Central Asia borders Afghanistan, the world’s largest opium poppy producer, and the area serves as a hub for illicit drug trafficking. For a more effective response to such transnational organized crime, strengthening regional cooperation across borders and among law enforcement agencies in Central Asia is critical.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been supporting Central Asia’s vulnerable border areas against the trafficking of Afghan opiates, through strengthening border crossing points and establishing/enhancing intelligence-sharing and cross-border communication mechanisms allowing for the detection and interception of contraband.
In an integrated coordination response to drug-related challenges and border security issues, UNODC has supported the establishment of border liaison offices (BLOs), port control units, border posts and outposts, and interagency mobile teams in the Central Asian states. BLOs have been set up in geographically remote and potentially vulnerable border crossing points in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
To support strengthening the capacities of border crossing points in Central Asia, on 17 February 2022 the Government of Japan and UNODC signed a grant agreement for US$ 4.1 million. The grant will also improve regional cross-border cooperation by promoting the BLO concept and the development of information and communication networks for border agencies.
“In particular, the initiative will improve capacities of crossing points stationed along the border with Afghanistan through the provision of technical expertise and equipment, and drug interdiction skills development for border officers and law enforcement agencies,” explained Yusuf Kurbonov, UNODC’s International Programme Coordinator in Central Asia.
The agreement was signed by H.E. Mr. Yoshinori Fujiyama, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Ms. Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia, in the presence of the Ambassadors of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan.
“We expect this new project to strengthen operations of BLOs and border crossing points in the region and to bring about tangible results. We are expecting officers to benefit from the provision of leading-edge equipment as well as capacity building. I hope they will gain knowledge and skills needed to more effectively and efficiently combat trans-border crime,” said Ambassador Fujiyama upon signing the agreement.
Thanking the Government of Japan and Central Asian countries for their continued partnership with UNODC, Mittal said: “Fostering greater cross-border and interagency cooperation helps to make the region safer from the threats of drugs, crime and terrorism for the benefit of current and future generations. Supporting integrated border management is an integral part of UNODC’s work programme for Central Asia,” she noted.
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BLOs promote improved communication and cooperation between different national law enforcement agencies working along borders. They aim to foster direct cross-border communication between operations staff and share real-time information on drug traffickers to enable fast and effective intervention by law enforcement officers on both sides of the border.
UNODC strengthens the capacities of BLO officers through training programmes and provides equipment and specialized analytical software to enhance database analysis and intelligence-sharing at the regional level.
