ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION IN EUROPE
Complying with human rights standards when countering terrorism at borders was the focus of training organized jointly by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Border Management Staff College (BMSC) in April 2015 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The training course brought together 23 mid- to senior-ranking border officials from 11 OSCE participating states, including Afghanistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, aimed at providing practical tools for border officials to conduct their duties in compliance with human rights.
“Respecting human rights is indispensable in addressing the continuously evolving phenomenon of terrorism,” said Enrico Boninsegna, ODIHR human rights officer on counterterrorism issues. “Law enforcement officials engaged in counterterrorism activities, including border officials, should have the necessary knowledge to perform their professional duties in full compliance with human rights.”
The training was conducted as part of the OSCE’s assistance to strengthen participating states’ capacities in preventing and combating terrorism within a framework based on the rule of law and respect for human rights. This was the fifth training session on human rights in counterterrorism and border security jointly organized by ODIHR and the BMSC since 2010.