Activities of the Transnational Threats Department In November, in co-operation with UNOCT, TNTD/BSMU organized the 3rd OSCE-wide Seminar on Passenger Data Exchange for 170 experts and law enforcement officials in Vienna. During the event, UNOCT Counter Terrorist Programme and TNTD agreed on the joint initiatives on API in participating States and Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation (Egypt, Israel and Monglia). The participation of the private sector also helped to facilitate public-private communications and collaboration on the establishment of passenger data exchange systems. A joint OSCE-Frontex meeting of focal points for Western Balkan States was organized on 11-12 September in Vienna for 48 participants. This meeting of experts from UNOCT, UNODC, IOM, ICAO, NATO, EU, BORDERPOL, Frontex, IATA, and INTERPOL resulted in the launch of a mechanism between TNTD and Frontex on co-ordinating travel document security capacity-building in the SEE region. In 2019, TNTD/BSMU organized six workshops on “Trafficking in Cultural Property (TCP)” in Dushanbe, Podgorica, Rome and Ulaanbaatar. Around 66 international and local experts increased their operational awareness in these countries. These activities provided an opportunity to discuss the most comprehensive approaches to respond to this transnational threat in co-ordination with the relevant national, international and regional organizations, education institutions and private sector. The workshops also resulted in the translation and publication of the INTERPOL TCP Guidebook. In June and October, TNTD/BSMU organized two regional training courses for the Mediterranean Points of Contacts (PoC) on Border Security and Management. The first event, organized at the Guardia di Finanza HQ in Bari, focused on the familiarization with the API/PNR systems. The second training seminar, organized by TNTD/BSMU in Madrid, focused on gender aspects of terrorism, violent extremism and THB as well as on gender mainstreaming in border security. During 2019, TNTD/BSMU provided expertise for capacitybuilding activities organized by the OSCE Border Management Staff College (BMSC) in Dushanbe and Centre in Ashgabat, promoting co-operation between border security and management agencies across the OSCE area. In total, TNTD/ BSMU participated and contributed at some 11 training events, conferences and workshops, which were all aimed at addressing cross-border co-operation with international and regional organizations, such as the UNOCT, UNODC, ICAO, NATO, World Border Organization, Frontex, IATA, WCO and INTERPOL. OSCE Mediterranean Points of Contact during a study visit to Guardia di Finanza’s Air Unit, Bari, 11 June 2019. (Guardia di Finanza) Border Security and Management / Customs In April, with support of the OSCE Slovak Chairmanship, TNTD/BSMU organized the “13th Annual Meeting of the OSCE Border Security and Management National Focal Points Network” in Bratislava. In front of 109 participants, the meeting focused on promoting cross-border co-operation and confidence-building to address emerging transnational threats and challenges related to border security and management in the OSCE area and beyond. The event provided the opportunity for participants to discuss ways to enhance national expertise, interagency co-operation, and information sharing mechanisms. Based on the recommendations agreed at the meeting, the International Civil Aviation Organization Public Key Directory project was subsequently upgraded and a new project on promotion of the biometrics was launched. In addition, TNTD developed and published the brochure Gender Made Easy for ‘first-line’ border officers and, in partnership with the CPC and Forum Security Co-operation (FSC), organized the “Thematic NFP Meeting” for 26 participants in the framework of the “OSCE Co-ordination Meeting on SALW”. Throughout 2019, TNTD/BSMU encouraged participating States and Partners for Co-operation to align their BSM policies and procedures with international and regional best practice. In August, TNTD/BSMU organized the “Central Asian Workshop on Demarcation and Delimitation Practices” in Bishkek. In total, 16 participants discussed the application of the OSCE Guidebook on Delimitation and Demarcation published in 2017. In November, TNTD/BSMU organized the “Central Asian Border Management Initiative Conference: New Perspectives” in Almaty, gathering 36 participants from Central Asia as well as representatives from IOM, International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Austrian Federal MoI, EU Border Management in Central Asia (EU BOMCA) and European External Action Service. 31