The WCO organized a virtual training for Palestinian Government officials in the control of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) which was funded by the External Action Service of the European Union as a part of the EU-LAS Project. Some thirteen officials participated in the four day event which was conducted from 21-24 February, 2021.
The illicit use of SALW causes a serious threat to peace, security and is an obstacle to sustainable development in many parts of the world, include the Middle East and North Africa, where the WCO is concentrating its capacity building activities. The WCO Security Programme has committed to assist its members in tackling this most dangerous of illicit trades, and has developed a training curriculum specifically aimed at Customs front line staff and managers.
In his opening remarks, His Excellency Ambassador / Dr. Omar Awadallah, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, stated that the State of Palestine supports all activities in combatting illicit small arms and are committed to International Law and Conventions, and thanked all the agencies involved in delivering the workshop. He highlighted that Palestine was a member of the WCO and thanks the WCO for its support for capacity building initiatives in Palestine.
The event provided training crucial to all aspects of illicit SALW control at the border, including identification of component parts of weapons, scrutiny of documentation such as end user certificates, risk management techniques and investigative techniques on the recovery of illicit weapons and ammunition.
To find out more about WCO SALW Project activities or if you would like to host a SALW virtual training workshop please contact WCOSecurityProgramme@wcoomd.org.