The first non-virtual meeting of the “Capacity Building Network” of the European Union (EU) “Organized Crime Training and Operational Partnership” (“TOPCOP”) project will be held on October 19-21, 2021 in Budapest, Hungary. Organized by the Agency (CEPOL).

According to Tehsil.biz, a training on "EU Policy Period" / "European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats" ("EMPACT") was held at the meeting. This training is for the Network, which brings together a total of fifteen liaison officers in each of the five EaP countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Armenia) as part of a project involving the EU Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries in 2020-2023, including Azerbaijan. was organized.

Elvin Mecidov, an employee of the Academy of the State Customs Committee (SCC), represented the Academy at the training as a coordinator for the TOPCOP project.

The three-day English-language hands-on training is CEPOL standards for law enforcement training needs assessment methodologies, TOPCOP project training catalog for 2021-2024, use of CEPOL's LEED e-learning platform, anti-European and Covers topics such as systematic action methodology against serious crimes and threats, programming tools, TOPCOP Exchange Program, assessment of serious and organized crime threats and improving international cooperation and information exchange between EU institutions, member states and EaP law enforcement agencies in the fight against organized crime has done.

The workshop highlighted the key stages of EMPACT, the role of key actors in the process, and global cooperation and legal frameworks, and informed participants about the EMPACT 2022+ changes. At the end of the training program, discussions were held on the work to be done in the coming months and years, and certificates were presented to the participants.

It should be noted that the State Customs Committee joined the TOPCOP project in April this year as a customs training institution, taking into account the importance of strengthening the human resources of the customs service in ensuring national and economic security of the country and the fight against organized crime. As a result of DGKA's CEPOL and TOPCOP project partnership, employees of the relevant customs services of Azerbaijan have won the right to participate in various online and traditional courses, modules, seminars, trainings and webinars.

Within the framework of this activity, the Academy, as a coordinating body, identifies the necessary training needs for the relevant structures of the State Customs Committee, coordinates the trainings and involves the relevant customs authorities in the trainings. The national coordinating body of the project is the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The project has appointed capacity building coordinators in two agencies - the State Customs Committee and the Police Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The next seminar within the TOPCOP project will be held on November 22-26, 2021 in Baku on "Illegal trade in firearms and explosives via the DarkWeb" and will be attended by customs officers with the support of the State Customs Committee. caught.