United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

East Asia and Pacific

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		Project Code and Sector Project Background and Justification Immediate Objective, Outputs and Main Activities Counterpart, Institutional Setting and Implementing Arrangements Financial Information

AD/RAS/99/D91 - Development of Cross-Border Law Enforcement Cooperation in East Asia

1. Project Code and Sector

2. Project Background and Justification

The subregion comprising Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam contains one of the largest opium and heroin producing areas in the world - the "Golden Triangle". These governments have joined UNODC in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Drug Control and begun undertaking subregional responses to the drug production, trafficking and abuse problems. This project stems from the good experiences gained from the UNODC sponsored cross-border activities along the China/Myanmar and Myanmar/Thailand borders. Many countries of the region do not have formal or informal cooperation modalities in place with their neighbours whilst some of the bilateral cross-border arrangements that exist have proved to be more procedural and formal than productive. Cross-border cooperation is at times hampered by political and historical differences and considerations related to national integrity and security. Lack of trust and good personal relations sometimes deter productive and rapid intelligence exchange. Language differences, procedural discrepancies and equipment limitations also make cross-border cooperation difficult.

At the same time, drug traffickers are becoming more and more adept to changing their routes and exploiting new routes - and sometimes also countries - in their effort of getting the illegal drugs to the world markets or to secure their supply of precursors. Many East Asian countries are facing new flows of heroin and synthetic drugs and in many cases drug abuse spills over along the route to new and vulnerable groups. It has become clear that more cross-border cooperation is needed to tackle the international crime and that sharing of experiences on both sides of the mutual borders can be an effective tool to drug control.

This phased project will progressively develop and expand in order of priorities the operational effectiveness of law enforcement agencies across and along the borders of countries which are party to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the Subregional Action Plan on Drug Control. The project will be implemented in two phases with the China-Laos, China-Myanmar and China-Vietnam borders to be covered by the first phase. The second phase will address identified needs at the Cambodia-Thailand, Cambodia-Vietnam, Laos-Thailand, Laos-Vietnam, Myanmar-Laos and Myanmar-Thailand borders. This will mainly entail building national and regional cooperation and enabling cross-border personnel to work as a team. The key components will be workshops and specialized training to develop skills and knowledge of drug control, initiatives to engender trust and confidence, and structures which favour close liaison. Enforcement activities conducive to trust building, practical and daily collaboration will be identified and encouraged.

3. Immediate Objective, Outputs and Main Activities

A. Immediate Objective:
To improve cross border cooperation and drug enforcement performance in targeted and prioritized border areas of Southeast Asia by:
Strengthening and promoting cross-border cooperation through setting up of liaison structures for regular and continuous operational cooperation
Enhancing capacity of law enforcement officers at border crossings and/or inland checkpoints to:
use of risk assessment, profiling and selectivity techniques for control of road vehicles, river crafts and foot travellers,
detect illicit drugs and suspect consignments of money and precursors concealed in cargo, road vehicles, river craft and foot travellers
Setting up National training capacity for providing training in drug and precursor identification and testing 

B. Main Project Activities:
National Commander Seminars: Commander seminars will be organized nationally in all 6 MOU countries. The participants will include commanders, senior officers and team leaders of drug law enforcement agencies situated in the selected high risk border areas. At the end of the seminars the delegates will:
- aware of the background and objectives of the project
- aware of the need to improve both national and cross-border cooperation
- able to identify ways of improving existing cross-border cooperation
- aware of the need to improve current skills and knowledge in the areas of risk assessment, profiling and selection of people, vehicles and cargo

Initial Needs Analysis: Initial needs analysis will be conducted . All targeted high risk border areas and all drug law enforcement agencies at the selected border areas will be visited by UNODC National Programme Officer. The analysis will be based on extensive fact finding before, during and following the trips. The process will include study related documents, on sites observations, group meeting and interviews, one to one interview, official statistical analysis, unsolicited information, feedback from previous Commander seminar.

The outputs of the activity will include:
- All border crossings and key inland checkpoints in identified high risk areas visited and all officers concerned familiarised
- More understanding, support and cooperation from drug law agencies staff towards the project gained.
- Existing situation and structure of border liaison explored and presented.
- Information of drug trends and drug seizures verified and presented.
- Overall results of the analysis will be important inputs in forming major part of Sub-regional workshop curriculum.

Sub-regional Workshop: The project will organize two sub-regional workshops (one phase each) of National Project Coordinators, senior staff/managers involved in Border Liaison work from all 6 MOU countries. The workshops will examine the structures of the law enforcement units at the borders, to establish basic principles of national and international cooperation and to identify practical opportunities for along and cross-border cooperation.
National Workshops: National workshops will be organized in each MOU countries for participants to clarify and intensify methods of gaining support for better cooperation in drug law enforcement among and within agencies along and across-borders. Participants will agree on their mutual workplan, and suggested cooperation working structure. Each country will establish a system of Border Liaison Offices/Officers (BLOs) to promote national and international cooperation.The project to some extend provide the BLOs with necessary transportation and communication equipment in order for them to fulfill their duties.
Joint International Workshops: The project will promote joint international workshops for neighbouring countries in the selected high risk areas to voice their problems and how to mutually fulfill their expectations.
Technical Training: In order to improve effectiveness of cross-border law enforcement cooperation Computer-Based-Training (CBT) will be provided to all drug law enforcement front line staff in selected high risk areas. Training series of CBT will be divided and selected to meet specific needs for cross-border cooperation situation i.e. risk assessment, profiling and selection for cross-border and inland checkpoint, searching and etc.

C. Project Outputs:
Cross border liaison structures of law enforcement officials established and used at selected high risk locations.
Computer Based Training programme deployed to border locations.
Drug law enforcement front line staff in selected areas technically trained.
Cooperative networks established.
Project lessons identified, recorded and disseminated.

4. Counterpart, Institutional Setting and Implementing Arrangements

The project will be executed by UNODC through the Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific. The project will employ a part time Project Manager, full time staff as National Programme Officer and Project Secretary. The counterparts in this project will be the national agencies responsible for drug control in the participating countries.

5. Financial Information