International Border Management Conference Brings Together International Experience in Lebanon
The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) organised a two-day International Border Management conference in Beirut, Lebanon, on 24-25 October 2018, within the framework of the project Enhanced Capability for Integrated Border Management in Lebanon (IBM Lebanon), which is funded by the European Union.
The international event gathered representatives of ministries and border agencies from Lebanon, Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as relevant agencies. As for Lebanon, the conference brought together representatives of the Lebanese Armed Forces, Border Control Committee, the Internal Security Forces, the Directorate General of General Security and the Directorate General of the Lebanese Civil Defence.
The conference aimed to facilitate an exchange of knowledge and best practices between border management agencies and experts at both strategic and operational levels. It also highlighted that international cooperation has become a necessity to maintain the safety and security of States and persons, while ensuring the smooth flow of travellers and goods across borders, assisting people in need of international protection and ensuring the respect for human rights. To achieve this, it is necessary to put in place efficient mechanisms, such as standardised procedures and systems, and to build the capacities of the border agencies.
The conference featured an opening statement by ICMPD Director for Migration Dialogues and Cooperation Mr. Martijn Pluim and key remarks by the EU Ambassador Christina Lassen and Austrian Ambassador Marian Alexander Wrba.
Mr. Pluim noted in his speech the need to introduce a new concept of border management to face national, regional and international challenges. “A concept which does justice to the wide variety of tasks and actors present at our borders… and encompass all present and future cross-border tasks and responsibilities implying an approach open to strong daily and strategic planning and cooperation between partners.”
Ambassador Lassen indicated that border management has been of particular focus for EU-Lebanon cooperation in the last five years. "We care about Lebanon's security and stability", she said. "Lebanon is a close neighbour of the European Union. The shared goal of a common area of peace, prosperity and stability implies working together".
From his side, Ambassador Wrba emphasised the “democratic right of the people and legally it is the sovereign right of the States to determine their national migration policy and their prerogative to govern migration within their jurisdiction, in conformity with international law.”
IBM Lebanon is funded by the European Union with a budget of EUR 14 million allocated over 6 years. It works with five Lebanese security agencies (Lebanese Armed Forces, Internal Security Forces, General Security, Lebanese Civil Defence and Lebanese Customs Administration), to establish effective, efficient and coordinated border management.