21st November 2019 - Amman, Jordan
The Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Union (EU), and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) launched the Integrated Border Management (IBM) project on the 18 th of November 2019 in Amman, Jordan. The IBM project will support Jordan to develop an integrated approach in border management and to strengthen capacities to counter transnational crime and enhance trade traffic for land, sea and air border centers.
The event was attended by HE, the Director of Public Security Directorate (PSD) Major General Fadel Al-Homoud, H.E Ms. Maria Hadjitheodosiou, the EU Ambassador to Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ms. Cristina Albertin, UNODC Regional Representative for the Middle East and North Africa, Mr Julien Simon, Regional Coordinator for the Mediterranean at ICMPD, representatives of the security services, customs, Gov. officials as well as international partners, and NGOs.
Brigadier Tariq Al Habashneh, Director of the Border and Residency Directorate / Public Security Directorate, asserted that IBM will contribute significantly to the reduction of arms and drug smuggling operations.
Trafficking in human beings, combating terrorism and all transnational crimes through the application of the concept of integrated border management, the promotion of cooperation among the agencies operating at border posts and the strengthening of international and regional cooperation.
In the end, His Excellency Brigadier General Tariq Habashneh thanked the European Union for their generous support of €11 million for 4 years. He also thanked the two implementing partners, UNODC and ICMPD.
The EU Ambassador to Jordan, H.E Ms. Maria Hadjitheodosiou, remarked on how "trade and security go hand in hand in sustaining the social fabric and stability of the country. This explains our full support to specific activities on facilitating trade procedures on border crossing points while at the same time fighting different forms of organised crime and smuggling."
UNODC Regional Representative for the Middle East and North Africa, Ms. Cristina Albertin added that "Border management is instrumental in countering transnational criminal networks, including terrorist groups, and equally important in facilitating smooth and secure trade flows for increased revenues and a prosperous country. This project will work with institutions and provide capacity building using the potential of international cooperation to counter organized crime and terrorism. It will be our shared contribution to Effective, Accountable and Inclusive Institutions at All Levels as reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals recognizing the nexus between development and rule-of-law and its impact on peace and security".
"The vision driving this project is constructed to offer a specific and efficient border control, through an Integrated Border Management strategy and the development of supply chain security and authorised economic operator system and speeding up clearance time while guaranteeing security," Mr Julien Simon, Regional Coordinator for the Mediterranean, ICMPD.
The launch was followed by a steering committee meeting in which the Government of Jordan, the EU, UNODC, and ICMPD discussed the project structure, the gaps and needs assessment report, work plan, and planned activities.
