24 February 2021, Bishoftu-Ethiopia: The IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) has successfully concluded a three-days national training on Border Security and Traveler Identification Systems on the Aviation Domain. The objective of the training was to enhance the capacity of officials in the aviation security, immigration and intelligence of Ethiopia to effectively prevent, detect, and intercept the entry or transit of suspected terrorists, foreign terrorist fighters and other serious criminals when such individuals attempt to enter or transit through airports with the use of biometric data and advanced traveler identification methods.
The training was also intended to explore the disruptions that followed the Covid-19 outbreak, and the impact of the pandemic on airport security and passenger screening.
The training was conducted – virtually - by senior border security experts. INTERPOL and AIRCOP also participated in the training.
The contents covered included:
- Concepts on border security management (BSM)
- Impact of Covid-19 on BSM and airport security
- Advanced Traveler Information Systems – concepts and applications on BSM, with emphasis on aviation travel (API, PNR)
- Conventions, Standards and Recommended Practices of IATA, ICAO, ACI
- ICAO’s Traveler Identification Program (TRIP) strategy
- Travel Documents Analysis
- Biometrics and its uses in travel documents and traveler identification
- Integrated Border Management
- UNSC resolutions and other international legal instruments in preventing and intercepting the travel of suspected terrorists, FTFs and other serious criminals
- Importance of international cooperation and INTERPOL tools for border security in aviation domain (INTERPOL)
- Real-time operational communication between international airports against transnational organized crime and terrorism (AIRCOP)
In addition, the delegates visited Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy and Ethiopian Cargo.
The national training was attended by 30 senior officials from National Intelligence and Security Services, Immigration and Nationality Agency, Civil Aviation Authority, and Airport Security. The training was officially opened by Commander Abebe Muluneh, Director of IGAD Security Sector Program, and concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Solomon Debebe, Senior Advisor to the Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, and Mr. Solomon Asres, Vice President of Human Resources of the Airlines.
One of the objectives of the IGAD Security Sector Program is enhancing institutional and human capacities of Member States to effectively address emerging, evolving, and existing transnational security threats (EEE-TSTs) in order to contribute to regional peace and stability, and foster enabling environment for regional integration and development of the sub-region, under which this training was conducted.
The training was conducted with the financial support from the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF) through the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) under the IPPSHAR Program. [END]