Background
The International Border Management Conference is the annual flagship border management event organised by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). Organised since 2018 in close cooperation with ICMPD’s partners, the conference brings together practitioners, policy makers, donors and experts from public institutions, agencies, international and regional organisations and private sector to engage in dialogue on state-of-the-art developments, good practices and the latest trends and research related to the field of border management.
Capitalising on its three decades of experience, considerable expertise and a broad network of international partners and specialists, ICMPD brings innovative ideas and demand-driven solutions to border management challenges and changing them into opportunities. From the outset of ICMPD’s work on integrated border management, equal focus has been laid on migration, mobility, trade, security and cross border crime. Each of these interlinked domains of intervention requires a specific and targeted approach and an involvement of specialised agencies. Nevertheless, only an integrated approach can deliver the most significant and sustainable results. Improved cooperation and coordination can provide added value to a wide variety of sectors; ranging from security, to safeguarding human rights, from health to sanitary safety, from control of movements to the facilitation of trade and tourism. Secure borders which are open for mobility, trade and tourism can support both international security as well as local and regional development.
For its sixth edition, the conference will be held in Türkiye, considering its unique geographical position, located at the crossroads of Europe, Central Asia and Middle East as well as the ever-changing patterns of irregular migration, along with unstable political and security context in the region.
Türkiye traditionally being regarded as a transit country for immigrant, further becoming a destination country in the last decade; as well as the challenges stemming from all types of illegal cross-border attempts, led the initiatives to establish an effective border management system in Türkiye to gain further importance.
In this context, while promoting effective border surveillance, secure borders and safe and orderly migration, facilitating of trade and movement remains a priority; particular emphasis should be placed on strengthening international and regional cooperation based on a whole-of-route approach aimed at coordinating dialogue and policies vis-à-vis the main countries of origin of irregular migrants arriving in Türkiye and the European Union.
Previous editions of the conference have focused on integrated border management, trade facilitation, challenges caused by use of modern technologies, and educational initiatives for border agencies’ personnel. Interactive, inspired and at times dynamic discussions were made possible each year, and even encouraged as progress can only stem from these insights. The conferences have ensured comprehensive viewpoints by including border guards, immigration police and customs officials, as well as few other actors, including from the private sector, concerned directly by the daily challenges of border management.
Focus of the Conference in 2023: the 6th International Border Management Conference, co-organised with the Ministry of Interior, Directorate General of Provincial Administration (DGPA), Department of Border Management, Foreign Affairs and Project will focus on various future aspects and ways of cooperation, coordination and interoperability at the borders especially at a unstable geography.
In a similar approach than for previous editions, the conference will bring together a broad range of public and private stakeholders. The event takes place in a country that considers safe, orderly and legal movement of people and goods across borders as a top priority. Located at the crossroads between different regions and continents, the Republic of Türkiye is definitely one of those that acknowledge border management as a strategically important domain where strong cooperation and coordination must be endeavoured both at national and international levels, with its neighbours, origin countries and potential new partners. Indeed, with this vision of purpose, Türkiye, currently assuming the Chairmanship of ICMPD Steering Group attaches great importance to the establishment of an International Migration Cooperation Centre in İstanbul, with the primary role, among others, to foster operational cooperation in the area of border management, with a regional focus along the Eastern Mediterranean Migration Route, particularly Türkiye, Western Balkans, Central Asia and Middle Eastern countries. This year’s BMC would provide an ideal setting to further explore the benefits of such initiatives.
Beyond the long-lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequences of the war in Ukraine on global stability and prosperity, numerous challenges have carried on over the past years. Continuing longterm conflicts, climate change, increased national and regional insecurity resulting notably from the activities of criminal or extremist groups as well as the lack of economic perspectives in countries of origin have, for many social classes, contributed to push larger number of people, including migrants, on the roads, seeking for better lives. Other challenges linked to emerging trends in global trade, like the exponential growth of ecommerce, can also have consequences on the safety and security of citizens and demand a coordinated response. Most likely to last in time and possibly to worsen, these hardships will have strong effects on our daily lives.
Border management is a domain that demands precise orchestration between different functions that are often implemented by a large variety of actors. This per se represents a challenge to ensure the smooth and functional movement of essential goods, services and people in “normal” working environment. In the present context, it is even much more vital that one border management agency alone cannot cope with today’s challenges.
In the present geopolitical context of growing instability, it is even more required for border management stakeholders, whether they are in charge of border security or facilitating trade and development, to further strengthen cooperation, including through mutual support both at policy and strategic level, as well as on operational level.
Use of state-of-the-art technologies and progressive application of Artificial Intelligence in border management are calling for a considered approach from technical, ethical and legal perspective. Border management as of today and tomorrow is and will more and more relay on use of technologies, and we must be aware of the constraints and advantages this will bring alone.
The Conference this year will give a chance to provide a future outlook on various and most significant developments supporting enhanced interoperability or harmonised approaches to apply border management measures. Focus will include recent developments in Entry/Exit System (EES) which will work together with the new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) authorisation, as interesting changes in the efforts to support effective management of the external borders. Developments in regard to the Schengen area, in particular in Schengen Information System II (SIS II), the work towards implementing the European IBM and the steps taken and planned for getting the Customs Union to the next level will be one major part of the discussions at the conference. Focus will also be oriented at other regions and countries to feed discussions and exchange of ideas on various practices and approaches, notably with a view to possibly identify common ground for enhanced cooperation.
The event will focus on suggestions for future improvements and innovations in border management based
on three main axis:
- “Setting directions and good practice” - policy level: The first part will give a general update regarding latest developments on IBM worldwide and related border policing and customs domains, highlighting efforts towards increasing respect to fundamental rights, cooperation and coordination, notably through setting and applying minimum common standards and approaches;
- “What works well” – implementation level: Presentation of various good practice examples highlighting the added value of applying commonly agreed standards or approaches, supporting interoperability at various levels (internally, at interagency and international levels);
- “Ways to get there” – instruments and practices– Presentation of existing tools and instruments to actually support the implementation of good practices, experience and knowledge sharing for aligning practices, mutual assistance.
Beyond the presentation of latest policy developments in regard to border management, conference participants will have the opportunity to present their daily practices, experiences and achievements, to exchange views and discuss potential perspectives.
Objectives of the Conference
The main objectives of the conference are to update the audience about the recent policy or strategic developments in the main of relevance to integrated border management and suggest innovative solutions for improvement of border management worldwide. The attention will be focussed mostly on the efforts towards setting harmonised practices or approaches in support to enhanced cooperation and coordination at the borders. Specific focus in this year conference will be paid to use of technologies and artificial intelligence as well as on full inclusion of fundamental rights in border management operations. The conference will also be the occasion to share, present and discuss practices and methods for supporting actual and aligned implementation of these practices at multiagency level but also across borders.
Conference Format
The conference will be organised in person, so that participants can exchange and interact directly amongst each other, and attend the presentations, which will be delivered live at the venue in the Republic of Türkiye. Presentations and discussions will be held in English with simultaneous interpretation into Turkish, Arabic, and Russian. Only invited and registered participants will have access to the conference.
Contact Information
Mr. Borut Eržen
Head of Programme, Border Management and Security
International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)
Email:
Details and background information: https://www.icmpd.org/about-us/border-management-conference
The 6th International Border Management Conference will be configured with few parallel interactive sessions on key topics of relevance to Border Management and Security.
A dinner will be organised for registered participants on 6 December evening.