OSCE co-organizes London study visit on Advance Passenger Information for Kazakhstan officials
The OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Office of the United States Embassy in Astana organized a visit to London from 24 to 26 July 2018 for eight officials from Kazakhstan to study the United Kingdom’s experience in introducing the Advanced Passenger Information Exchange System (API) and the Passenger Name Recorder (PNR).
The visit for officials of Kazakhstan’s Border Guard Service, National Security Committee, Prosecutor General’s Office, Ministry of Justice Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Investment and Development and Foreign Affairs Ministry aimed to familiarize them with best practices in passenger identification and safety, as well as in relevant border security issues including countering human trafficking, immigration and customs enforcement. The delegation saw the practical application of the information-sharing system at Heathrow Airport and learned about the technical capabilities and requirements.
The officials also met with senior officials of the UK Home Office and discussed possible interagency co-operation opportunities between the two countries and the next steps in promoting the exchange of passenger information at Kazakhstan’s border checkpoints. The delegation was briefed by the Carrier Engagement and Data Analysis Team on the methods for processing and analysis of incoming advance passenger information,
OSCE Ministerial Council Decision No. 6/16 Enhancing The Use Of Advance Passenger Information specifies that OSCE participating States commit to establishing national Advance Passenger Information (API) systems in accordance with the provisions contained in ICAO’s Annex 9 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention) and aligned with the WCO/IATA/ICAO Guidelines on Advance Passenger Information (API), including those on privacy and data protection, in order to effectively collect passenger and/or crew data from airlines operating in their territories.
The visit is a part of the Office’s long-standing activities intended to enhance the host country’s border security and law enforcement capacity.