Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
YouTubePassenger and Border Cargo Team (PCBT) Enhances Practical Cooperation and Experience Exchange Among Port Control Units in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
The practical cooperation and information exchange on high-risk cargo shipments along international trade and transport corridors are of utmost importance in facilitating the international trade. This cooperation represents a strategic priority for Customs authorities of the countries cooperating within the framework of the Inter-Regional Network of Customs Authorities and Port Control Units countries (IREN). IREN was established in 2019 under the UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme (CCP).
From October 4-6, 2023, the PCBT organized the exchange visit for members of the Port Control Units (PCUs) and other mid-level officials from Customs services of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as the National Information-Analytical Center on Drug Control of Uzbekistan, to the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The purpose of the visit was to learn the best practices of the PCUs deployed at Alyat and Astara Customs posts in container/cargo control aspects, hold consultations and further promote and implement interregional field-level cooperation and information exchange within the IREN.
The State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SCC) hosted the exchange visit, which included a working meeting with the senior management of the Committee and visits to the Customs posts of Alyat International Sea Port in Baku and Astara, as well as to the Regional Office for Capacity Building for the Europe Region of the World Customs Organization. During the meeting with Mr. Djavad Gasymov, Deputy Chairman of Committee, the parties discussed and exchanged views on prospects for further strengthening of practical cooperation between Customs authorities of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan and agreed to further foster it including by implementation of the bilateral agreement on the exchange of cargo pre-arrival information between Customs of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
After the meeting, the participants were shown the capacities of the Committee’s risk monitoring and targeting systems. During the visit to the Alyat Sea Port, participants held a working meeting with the management of the Baku Customs Department and Alyat customs post. They were introduced to the port infrastructure, cargo flows, and risk management systems through a presentation made by the Ferry Terminal specialists. At the visit to Astara Customs post, participants were familiarized with workflow processes and taken an onsite tour of the post area. 
Participants received detailed information about the nature of the flows and the efforts made by Customs to interdict and suppres drug trafficking through that post. Parties exchanged practical aspects and views on the potential nexus between cargo flows via countries located along the common trade and transport corridor, and they agreed to boost information and data exchange among the three countries.
In a meeting held at the Regional Office for Capacity Building for the Europe Region of the World Customs Organization (ROCB) in Baku, Mr. Antonio Lo Parco, Director of the ROCB, and Mr. Mirhasan Seyidzade, Deputy Director, provided a detailed presentation on the mission, goals, and work of the ROCB. A tour was arranged to showcase the technical and infrastructure capacities of the ROCB training and meeting premises.
The CCP Regional Segment for Central Asia is funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program, and the Government of France.
More about Global CCP at: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/ccp/index.html
Links to SCC and ROCB webpages and X.:
https://customs.gov.az/az/faydali/xeberler/3667