Nairobi, Kenya - 27 November 2024 - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) through the flagship United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel (‘CT Travel’) Programme unite to foster regional cooperation on detection of terrorists and other serious criminals using passenger data, including both Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR), through the organization of a regional workshop. The inaugural workshop held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 26 to 28 November 2024, also marks a significant step toward establishing a regional Informal Working Group (IWG) on API and PNR.  The collection and analysis of API and PNR data is a crucial tool for enhancing border security, facilitating legitimate travel, and countering terrorism and transnational crimes.

The three-day workshop  gathered more than 20 representatives from law enforcement, counter-terrorism and national security, immigration and customs, as well as civil aviation agencies from nine Member States across Eastern Africa, namely Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, as well as international experts from the United Nations, Interpol and other global targeting centers, to support  peer-to-peer exchanges on the use of passenger data to prevent and counter travel of terrorists and other serious criminals.

The workshop touched on some of the core principles and building blocks that need to be in place to collect, analyze and process passenger data. Participants had the opportunity to share their experiences with transmitting, processing, retaining, safeguarding, and sharing passenger data in line with international standards and recommended practices and human rights principles. The systematic collection and use of passenger data to detect and prevent the travel of known and previously unknown security threats supports more effective border management and can inform the implementation of measures to counter terrorism and facilitate mobility of bona fide travelers.

"IOM's integrated border management promotes knowledge sharing and best practices in implementing passenger name record and advanced passenger data systems for better migration management and facilitating regular pathways," said Dimanche Sharon, Chief of Mission, IOM Kenya. "This workshop is timely and vital, and IOM is honored to work with Member States in Eastern Africa, as the secretariat for the IWG, to strengthen legal frameworks and system inter-connectivity to advance cross-border trade and movement of people."

The CT Travel Programme team highlighted how regional networks or IWGs currently support and accelerate national efforts by providing a forum for Member States to exchange best practices and lessons learned regarding the collection and use of passenger data. The CT Travel Programme has supported the establishment of four active IWGs in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Southern Africa, West and Central Africa, and Southeast Asia that currently support Member States in each region with the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 2178 (2014), 2396 (2017), and 2482 (2019).

Noting the value of cross-border cooperation as key to countering terrorism, Ms. Rachel Manis, UNOCT, "peer-to-peer exchanges enable us all to learn from each other as we each work to implement effective national systems to process, analyze, retain, and share passenger data in line with international norms, standards and the fundamental principles for human rights.”

As Member States drive each IWG’s regional priorities and annual work programme, this regional workshop will introduce the IWG framework, clarify governance considerations, and establish the foundations required to formally launch a new IWG for Eastern Africa in 2025. This workshop was made possible through Government of Canada’s Global Affairs Gove funded programme “Supporting Government of Kenya in implementation of API and PNR systems.

Background:

The Countering Terrorist Travel (‘CT Travel’) Programme was established in 2019 to support Member States to respond to the growing threat posed by the movement of foreign terrorist fighters. The Programme is a global initiative that aims to build Member States capacities to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute terrorist offences, including their related travel, by collecting and analyzing passenger data, both API and PNR, in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions, international standards and best practices and human rights principles.

A flagship global initiative led by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the Programme follows an ‘’One-UN’’ approach to provide comprehensive, yet tailored assistance to beneficiary Member States with the support of its implementing partners United Nations Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), through AIRCOP and the UNODC Terrorism Prevention Branch, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations Office of Information and Communication Technology (OICT), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 

The Secretary-General officially launched the Programme on 7 May 2019. Five years on, CT Travel is working closely with 83 Member States, 62 are beneficiaries of the comprehensive technical assistance, six (6) Member States (Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Ireland, and the United States of America), and one (1) regional organization (CARICOM on behalf of 15 countries) have become strategic partners.

IOM Kenya’s Immigration and Border Governance programming supports the Government of Kenya to establish a comprehensive and integrated border management system to facilitate safe, orderly, and regular cross-border mobility and trade and to effectively address transnational organized crimes, including trafficking in persons as well as smuggling of migrants and goods to, from, and within Kenya. This includes programmes and policy initiatives that enhance mobility and regular pathways for migration, provision of technical support, capacity strengthening, improvement of border infrastructures, and enhancing inter-agency and cross-border cooperation. In addition, IOM supports community engagement initiatives to increase trust and promote a collaborative relationship between border communities and law enforcement authorities for enhanced border security. More about IOM Kenya