This year's Meeting will aim, inter alia, to enhance cross-border and inter-agency co-operation in the OSCE area, especially on topics related to the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, trafficking in human beings and irregular migration, and to contribute to the development of the "OSCE Training Tool for Cross-Border and Inter-agency Co-operation".
This 2015 NFP Annual Meeting of the OSCE Border Security and Management National Focal Points Network will be interactive in nature, with participants working on table-top exercises in groups.
This year’s focus on Cross-Border and Inter-Agency Co-operation is timely and relevant, based upon recent events in and around the OSCE region and the recommendations of the last year’s NFP Network meeting. The threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters, as well as by trafficking in human beings, among other forms of cross-border organized crime, is rapidly expanding and threatens the security of the OSCE region. The challenges facing border and border related agencies are constantly evolving and changing. These agencies must be better prepared to co-operate and work with one another to meet such modern threats and emerging challenges.
At the Ministerial Council in Ljubljana, pS adopted the OSCE Border Security and Management Concept (MC.DOC/2/05; 6 December 2005). In the BSMC, the OSCE was tasked to facilitate the “exchange of information, experience and best practices” as well as “technical dialogue between national border services and competent national structures” on border security and management issues.
Additionally, the Concept identified the establishment of national focal points (NFPs) as a method by which a possible OSCE contribution may be delivered. The Permanent Council (PC) approved the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the OSCE Border Security and Management National Focal Point (NFP) Network (PC.DEC/757; 5 December 2006), which described the responsibilities of the NFPs and the OSCE Secretariat.
Most participating States are represented in the Network, with 50 appointing NFPs that meet on an annual basis. To date, the NFP Network has conducted seven annual meetings. This year’s meeting will be held at Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Austria.
The 2015 Annual Meeting will be organized in line with the recommendations made by the National Focal Points in the course of the previous NFP Network events as well as during informal consultations. The chosen thematic focus of the event builds up on the conclusions of the previous annual meetings and is in line with the 2015 Serbian OSCE Chairmanship priorities.