Throughout June, the Centre worked on the planning and preparation of the extrabudgetary project “Strengthening Border Guard Capacities in Turkmenistan”. The seven-week phase one of the project, which began on 25 August, consisted of courses on patrolling, surveillance and other border security methods and techniques, as well as first aid and medical skills. The training was conducted by two international experts for 22 border service officers with the goal of providing them with knowledge and skills at the instructor- and team leader-level in tactical patrolling. Phase one was held in Lebap province at Imamnazar border crossing point to Afghanistan. Eight Afghan border police officials participated in a two-week executive course as a part of phase one. From 2-4 October, a representative of the OSCE TNTD/Border Security and Management Unit delivered a series of lectures to the trainees. Phase one concluded on 4 October. On 13 October, the project co-ordinator, national project officer and the trainers involved in phase one had a follow-up meeting at SBS headquarters to discuss the modalities of phase two. From 15-19 September, the Centre facilitated a five-day training course at the Border Management Institute in Ashgabat for 95 senior cadets. International best practices of modern land border security and management procedures and mechanisms were the subject of the presentations, which were delivered by two international experts. From 22-26 September, a five-day training course for 105 senior cadets was conducted at the Naval Institute in Turkmenbashy. International best practices of modern maritime border security and management procedures and mechanisms were the subject of the presentations, which were delivered by two international experts. From 6-9 October, the Centre organized a study visit to the Tenth Symposium and Exhibition on Machine Readable Travel Documents, Biometrics and Border Security, at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada for four Turkmenistan representatives. The four-day visit programme included meetings with representatives of ICAO as well as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International (ACI). The ICAO symposium programme covered various issues related to the implementation of the ICAO Traveller Identification Programme (ICAO TRIP), current and emerging ICAO standards and recommended practices, the integrity of document issuance and the need for interagency co-operation and data sharing. From 24-27 November, the Centre, in co-operation with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), organized a joint event on “Raising awareness on International Shipment of Strategic Goods and Enhancing Trade Facilitation” for ten officials of the State Customs Service and the Ministry of Health of Turkmenistan. This event was the first in a series of workshops in Turkmenistan that will be organized during 2015-2016 by UNODC on the subject of strategic products and export control in support of UN Security Council Resolution 1540. The Centre organized a three-day seminar on 17-18 December 2014 in Ashgabat on “Biometrics & ePassports: How to enhance security and facilitation at airports in Turkmenistan”, for the benefit of several agencies (Turkmenistan Airlines, State Migration Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of National Security, State Border Service, State Customs Service and Consular Department of the MFA). The seminar aimed to introduce new technologies concerning passengers and aviation security, including risk management and analysis, airline information, ePassports and the ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD). ****** 132