Border Liaison Offices and Computer-Based Training Workshop
Phnom Penh (Cambodia), 20 November 2009 - With the support of the UNODC Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific, Cambodia's National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) organized a workshop focusing on the management of border liaison offices and computer-based training. The workshop, which took place on 13 and 14 November at Goldiana Angkor Hotel in Phnom Pen, is part of the project entitled "
Consolidation and Enhancement of the Border Liaison Mechanism", which contributes to a long-term plan to strengthen border liaison offices in Cambodia and to expand operations with neighbouring countries. This is the first in a series of activities that will be implemented in the coming weeks in Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Viet Nam.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Police Lieutenant General Moek Dara, Secretary General of NACD. In the presence of 37 representatives from 12 border liaison offices, Gen. Dara expressed great satisfaction with the work done so far by those offices and the hope that that such progress would continue in the future. During the ceremony, 212 certificates were handed to the heads of five border liaison offices in the provinces of Kandal, Pailin, Stung Treng, Koh Kong and Battambang. Those certificates were to be awarded to those students who had completed their computer-based training course.
"While the border liaison offices show progress in Cambodia and they effectively contribute to control illegal cross-border activities," said Songsatit Kittikhunwatchana, UNODC Project Coordinator, "regular support is needed to ensure sustainability for future activities, as weaknesses in areas of management as well as human and financial resources still remain".
This workshop was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the UNODC CBT Unit in Bangkok, the Project "Consolidation and Enhancement of the Border Liaison Mechanism" and the Cambodia's National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD). Since 1997 the CBT Unit in Bangkok has coordinated the implementation of training courses in over 52 countries through over 300 Training Centres worldwide.