This week, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, hosted the 24th International Border Police Conference (IBPC), a bi-annual event that brought together law enforcement executives from nearly 100 countries on five continents, as well as representatives of international organisations, EU institutions and agencies.
In total, more than 300 participants took part in the conference, which focused on cross-border security through preparedness, prevention and response to global challenges such as terrorism, people smuggling, and document and identity fraud.
“The International Border Police Conference is a unique opportunity to bring together the leaders of the global border and coast guard community. We all have one common goal – to ensure that borders easily connect people and businesses, while preventing cross-border crime,” said Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri.
A number of high level officials joined the debate. Event highlights
included keynotes from David Pekoske, Acting Deputy Secretary of the US
Department of Homeland Security, Khalid Zerouali, Wali/Governor,
Director-General of the Morocco’s Ministry of the Interior and Michael
Outram, Commissioner of the Australian Border Force.
Topics
discussed during the IBPC 2019 reflect the main current challenges in
the field of border management. These include striking the right balance
between security and the facilitation of travel, interagency
cooperation and combining capabilities in the context of multipurpose
sea operations, the use of new technologies and innovation, and managing
resources and organizational transformation to further strengthen our
response to challenges at the borders.
With its global reach and
the presence of strategic leadership, the conference serves as a unique
platform to renew existing partnerships and to explore new avenues for
cooperation.
- Among the many bilateral and multilateral
initiatives organised on the margins of the event, Frontex held a
meeting with the US Department of Homeland Security to discuss common
challenges and to further strengthen bilateral collaboration.
- Frontex renewed partnership with Belarus through a new Cooperation Plan for the period 2020-22.
- Frontex and the Australian Border Force met to discuss mutual areas of interest and agreed to further explore cooperation.
- As part of the broader cooperation with the Western Balkans, Frontex
delivered on its commitment to provide technical support to Bosnia and
Herzegovina with an official handover of registration devices.
- A
bilateral meeting with Morocco was dedicated to explore areas of mutual
interest and to discuss possibilities for cooperation, including on
risk analysis, technology and innovation as well as coast guard
cooperation.
The next International Border Police Conference will be hosted by Frontex in 2021.
