For the 4th consecutive year on November 23rd and 24th 2021, ICMPD and the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service (SBGS) organised an International Border Management Conference to address ongoing issues in the border management sphere worldwide. This year it took place in Kyiv, with a limit of 50 in-person attendees, while more than 300 registered guests could view the conference unfold from online in their choice of English, French, Russian or Ukrainian.
The conference was financed by the European Union, via several EU-financed projects implemented by ICMPD: the Prague Process, Strengthening Integrated Border Management in Ukraine, Integrated Border Management Strengthening Capability for Integrated Border Management in Lebanon, the Border Management Programme in the Maghreb Region, and Integrated Border Management in Jordan – as well as the Federal Republic of Germany through the Support Programme for the Tunisian Government in the field of Integrated Border Management.
The conference was opened by keynote speeches from the management of SBGS, ICMPD, DG NEAR, the EU Delegation to Ukraine and EUAM. In two thematic roundtables, high level representatives and experts from border management authorities worldwide presented their daily practices, experiences, achievements and recommendations in regards to border management’s contribution to state development while continuing to act as a safeguard of security (on Day 1), and information exchange in the context of border management (on Day 2).
Even if border management is often presented in a very reduced and even biased manner as one of the main obstacles to human mobility and freedom of movement, the border domain is far more complex than it may seem, and actually, full of opportunities. It is becoming a strong driver in the area of development, among others. All speakers agreed that efficient and effective border management is essential to cope with today’s challenges and hybrid threats.