Data analysis for effective border management: the Kyrgyz Republic experience

On 29 November, 2017 the Coordination Center of Border Liaison Offices was officially opened on a basis of the Main Operational Department of the Kyrgyz Republic State Border Service.

The Chairman of the Kyrgyz Republic State Border Service Mr. Ularbek Sharsheev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Yoshihiro Yamamura and UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia Ms. Ashita Mittal attended the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event was also participated by the representatives of government authorities, international organizations and mass media.

The main purpose of the new Coordination Center is to ensure collection and analysis of data from all countrywide border crossing points in a real-time mode in order to better plan and elaborate recommendations for countering transnational organized crime, as well as to timely take preventive measures in a collaboration with other controlling agencies.

"With the opening of this Coordination Center, the State Border Service performed a true digital transformation moving the paper work of all operational units to electronic format using modern technologies and information systems," said Ularbek Sharsheev, Chief Commander of the KR State Border Service. "This transformation offers a large potential to improve the efficiency, reliability and cost-effectiveness of operational activities at the border."

The Center manages and oversees the BLO database powered by IBM software "i2" and geographic information system "ArcGIS", which allows analysts to quickly compare, analyze and visualize data from various sources, thus reducing time for search of information in the complex massive data. Within 2016-2017 years the Center's team has entered over 1 million entries into the database prompting meticulous research across agency and national boundaries to determine high-risk individuals, both entering and leaving the country, who may be connected to terrorism or other transnational crimes such as narcotics smuggling.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Yoshihiro Yamamura noted that the established Center will play an important role in coordinating the work of law enforcement agencies to prevent criminal activity from hurting the Kyrgyz Republic national boundaries.

"Application of specialized analytical software is a mandatory requirement for improving work of the law enforcement agencies", highlighted Ms. Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia. "We, in our turn, within our UNODC mandate will continue our efforts in assisting to enhance information and analytical capacities of our national counterparts in the region."

The event was organized as part of the UNODC ROCA 2015 -2019 Sub-Programme 1 "Countering transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and preventing terrorism" with financial support of the Government of Japan.