UNODC attends celebration of 30 years of Customs and official opening of Border Interagency Unit

8 April 2022 marked 29 years since North Macedonia (then known as, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), joined the United Nations which coincided with the 30 years celebrations of the country’s Customs Administration. UNODC joined celebrations at Skopje International Airport to mark 30 years of Customs Administration in North Macedonia, in addition to the official opening of the UNODC supported Border Interagency Unit (BIU). 

The UNODC representative presented congratulations to Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, Director Customs Administration, Director of the Skopje International Airport and Director Public Security Bureau also highlighting the shared vision of an interagency approach, the clear benefits to the country and the commitment of continuing support to the Government of North Macedonia and its’ law enforcement agencies. UNODC acknowledged the support of implementing partners WCO and INTERPOL and praised the efforts of the Customs and Border Police colleagues in their clear dedication to the task whilst expressing expectation for a successful transition into an operational stance.

The BIU is composed of a UNODC-WCO-INTERPOL Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) Joint Airport Investigation Task Force (JAITF) focusing on passenger threats and a UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme (CCP) Air Cargo Control Unit (ACCU) focusing on cargo.

In the last two years UNODC engaged in the unit’s capacity building and delivered a series of theoretical and practical trainings both online and in-person as well as a study visit for customs and border police officers who are part of the team. UNODC support also included donations of office furniture and IT Equipment for the BIU’s office located at the Skopje International Airport.

The establishment of AIRCOP/CCP inter-agency groups in the region is carried out in the framework of the EU-UNODC joint action on promoting rule of law and good governance through targeted border control measures at ports and airports, funded by the European Union and implemented by AIRCOP and CCP in cooperation with the UNODC Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe.