POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS CENTRAL ASIA 14 countries, took part. The conference focused on current security trends, their challenges, and modern ways to resolve them. The  participants discussed innovative methodologies to deliver border-related education in preventing corruption, transnational organized crime, and irregular migration. Cross-Border Co-operation in Criminal Matters From 24 August-3 September, 23 representatives from Afghan and Tajik border agencies attended a Border Management Awareness (BMA) course at the BMSC. Experts from the BMSC, OSCE Secretariat, IOM, UN Women, and the Drug Control Agency of Tajikistan delivered the course. Participants were trained in border control and co-operation, methods of countering terrorism and movement of narcotics, precursor identification and investigation of supply sources, and the roles of border  police as duty-bearers. The course was organized jointly with the Border Management Northern Afghanistan (BOMNAF) project of the UNDP.  From 16-17 December, the OSCE Border Security and Management Training Support Network  meeting took place in Vienna. The event was co-organized by the TNTD/ BSMU and the BMSC.  Twenty-five representatives of border guard/police and customs training institutions from 20  countries, as well as FRONTEX, participated. The meeting strengthened co-operation  and communication in the Network and identified the issues of migration trends and foreign terrorist fighters as the priorities of the participating agencies. An increasing focus on cyber  security and risk management was also agreed upon.  Discussions focused on the rapidly changing security environment and the need for border  security and management agencies to educate border guards/police and customs on current and emerging challenges. Counter-Terrorism & VERLT From 6-10 April, the BMSC and ODIHR organized a training course on compliance with human rights standards when countering  terrorism at borders. The training course brought together 23 mid- to senior-ranking border officials from 11 OSCE participating States and Afghanistan. The course provided practical tools for border  officials to conduct their duties in compliance with human rights. The training was conducted as part of the Office’s assistance to strengthen participating States’ capacities in preventing and combating terrorism within a framework based on the rule of law and respect for human rights. Cybercrime From 18-19 August, the BMSC and UNODC organized a workshop on international and regional co-operation  to combat cybercrime. Twenty government representatives from seven countries  discussed how domestic legislation can effectively combat the use of new technologies  for illicit financial flows. Participants shared best practices to promote international and regional co-operation to counter cybercrime. Border Security and Management / Customs On 11 September, the first 23 participants of the one-year Border Security and Management for Senior  Leadership (BSMSL) distance learning course graduated from the pilot programme. The participants from 12 countries learned about the contemporary security environment,  best practices in border security and management, modern border security and management-related trends, techniques and technology. Training and learning methods included self-learning in an electronic environment (e-learning) supported by tutoring, lectures and presentations, follow-up discussions on the subject matter and follow-up activities, group exercises, discussions and exercises supervised by experts, and study visits. The course was organized in close co-operation with DCAF. From 5-30 October, the BMSC organized its 14th Border Management Staff Course for participants from nine countries in Dushanbe. The course increased participants’ knowledge on border-related challenges across the OSCE area, including the global impact of transnational threats, middle and senior management techniques, operational planning, and intra-agency, inter-agency and international co-operation. From 15-27 October, 26 female border officials from Afghan and Tajik border security and management agencies participated in a Border Management Awareness (BMA) course. The course aimed at empowering women and encouraging their greater involvement in border security and management. The event was organized in co-operation with the EU-funded and UNDP-implemented Border Management Northern Afghanistan (BOMNAF) project. The course covered, inter alia, border controls and co-operation, leadership and management, anti-corruption, trafficking in human beings and migration.  121