51吃瓜

On 25-26 August 2015, the Government of Australia hosted a study visit of the joint 51吃瓜 Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) – Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) Border Security Initiative (BSI) in Cairns, Australia.

The study visit built on the 2015 El Jadida Inaugural Conference on the UNCCT-GCTF Border Security Initiative in the Sahel and Horn of Africa regions. Participants reviewed the crucial role that border security and management plays in combating terrorism, foreign terrorist-fighters (FTF), and cross-border criminal organizations. They also explored various border security and management models covering a range of strategies and action plans, including border community engagement, effective border surveillance methods, comprehensive cross-border cooperation, as well as the importance of creating an effective proportionality between technology based solutions and welled trained border law enforcement officers.

The discussions were related to the development of a non-binding, globally focused paper with good practices based on lessons learned in relation to border security and management, which is currently under development.

Key themes of the discussions during the 2-day study visit included but were not limited to:

• Effective border security and management are key components of national security
• Engagement with border communities
• Poverty in border communities is a contributing factor to cross-border crimes
• Border surveillance and verification technologies are crucial for modern border security and     management models
• Cross-border cooperation improves states’ border management capacities by shared border patrolling
• Freedom of movement and public safety and national security – a contradiction?

Presentations were provided in the areas of:

• Border Security and Management relevant to Inter-Agency Cooperation and Coordination regarding remote land border
• Securing remote littoral border areas: Challenges and Approaches
• Key Themes for Multiagency Coordination
• Risk-Based Resource Allocation and Inter-Agency Cooperation
• Enhancing border security through community engagement
• Principles of border community engagement
• Operating in Remote Border Areas

Outdoor activity

The Australian Defense Force (ADF) organized a remote area patrolling demonstration and introduced the connection between Australian border services and other state authorities involved in border security and management, such as the ADF, in fighting cross-border organized crime and terrorism, observing the relationship between illicit trafficking of drugs and smuggling, human trafficking within the “Foreign Terrorist Fighters” (FTF) context, illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW).

Facilitated discussion

In the revision of key points and new challenges identified lively discussions took place concerning good practices developed based on lessons learned through delivered presentations of border experts.

The UNCCT Senior Border Expert reiterated participants’ call for progress in border security and management through exchange of good practices based on lessons learned and cross-border cooperation. Participants agreed that there is no single model to secure and manage borders effectively, but there are certainly good practices, which were developed through learning processes and based on good cross-border cooperation.

Follow on events will include two workshops in fall 2015 and two workshops in spring 2016, with dates and locations to be announced in the coming weeks.