Strengthening Port Control Units' capacities in Uzbekistan

On 2 March 2018, the UNODC Regional Office in Central Asia organized a hand-over ceremony of video endoscopes and office equipment to the State Customs Committee (SCC) and the National Information-Analytical Center on Drug Control under the Cabinet of Ministers (NCDC) of the Republic of Uzbekistan within the framework of the "UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme" (CCP).

During the ceremony, Ms. Ashita Mittal, UNODC ROCA Regional Representative emphasized that "the expertise developed by the Port Control Units (PCU) in Uzbekistan demonstrates the successful application of the CCP`s methodology. Detection and suppression of goods smuggling, active participation of the PCUs in CCP`s regional initiatives, as well as real-time information exchange in the region is a good example of a direct impact of CCP towards border security and revenue collection."

The officials of SCC and NCDC highly appreciated the UNODC`s efforts, including CCP implementation in the country. Technical assistance provided by the Programme has valuably contributed to the enhancement of the capacity, knowledge and practical skills of customs officers in dedicated PCUs, which, in turn, helped to strengthen their overall efficiency, as well as profiling and detection capabilities.

The CCP Regional Segment for Central Asia and Azerbaijan is funded by the Government of Japan, as well as by the  Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program, the U.S. Department of State.